One Kiss Before The Sun Sets
by Anath Tsurugi
Summary: Who was Axel before his heart was taken by darkness? And why is that information suddenly going to make or break Organization XIII? What if a Nobody really can be saved from the awful fate of being incomplete? Can a person give her heart completely for th
1. One Blaze of Glory

(A/N) Oh dear, what to say? What to say? Well this is my first Kingdom Hearts fic. I'm working through the first one a second time and I'm gnawing away at CoM little by little. But for what I haven't played I know from my little brother. Because of him I know the story inside and out and the concept caught my interest. I was there when he played the scene where Axel died and I thought, "That can't happen!" So basically this story was inspired by that one moment. I'm giving Axel a life before Organization XIII. It's been done before, but never like this. So, wish me luck and tell me what you think. And even though the first couple of chapters are mostly setting up Axel and Takiren's story, there will be plenty of other romances here. Like Kaiora, Sqinoa, Cloudifa, and others. BTW, just thought I'd mention that this story begins during KH1 just shortly after the locking of Hollow Bastion. Or at least, that's the recognizable part where it officially picks up. Props to anyone who recognizes the three men in the opening sequence.

Disclaimer: If I actually need to say anything here to be understood than you make me sad…so be it! If it's on this site then of course I don't own it!

**One Kiss Before The Sun Sets**

_Chapter 1: One Blaze of Glory_

Fear. Fear is a funny thing.

Lea had thought he'd known fear. In the war between the houses he had been part of a special forces dispatch. He had seen death up close. He had seen friends die. He had killed. But the thing was, he was beginning to learn that he didn't know the first thing about fear. Lea had never gone into a fight that he knew he would lose.

"Hey, Lea, do you believe in God?" one of the men standing beside him asked.

Lea thought about this a moment before answering. He pondered the question over and over again as he tried to tame his unkempt red hair. But he wasn't getting an answer that he liked.

"You know, Ydem, I just don't know anymore. You'd think that if there was a god, then maybe we wouldn't be here right now. What kind of deity lets shit like this happen?" Lea asked bitterly.

"Just asking. Besides, wasn't it you who said that you'd found heaven a few months ago?"

"Yeah, well, your so-called _heaven_ tried to take back its angel."

"That's so poetic," Ydem tried to joke. "And so unlike you. Remember the good old days when it was _you_ always trying to cheer _me_ up?"

"Uh huh. The world's officially been turned upside down now. If there is a god, he must have a pretty sick mind." Lea said, making a half-hearted attempt to return the joke.

"And you, my young friend, have quite a twisted sense of humor," another voice added as its owner entered the white, lab-like room where the three men waited. The newcomer was dressed in a long black robe. The hood was thrown back to reveal pale blue hair and a pair of cattish yellow eyes. And in his hands, he held an opalescent sword. The blade of which appeared to be fashioned out of diamond. It was a blade that Lea recognized.

"That's Liberator's Heart! One of Takiren's jewels. Where did you get it, Saix?" he asked furiously.

"From Takiren," he answered simply.

"But how?" Lea asked, barely daring to hope. "You don't mean…she's-"

"Yes. She is completely cured. She is still a little drowsy after everything her body has been through, but she is perfectly fine."

"Please, Saix! You have to let me see her one more time! I need to know that she's all right. Let me hold her one last time before-"

"No," Saix interrupted harshly. "That life is over. Accept it. You belong to the darkness now. You are not leaving this room…ever again."

Lea was surprised at how little that last statement scared him. But then again, he knew what was about to happen.

"So that's it then," Ydem said remorsefully.

"Still, how did you get the jewel, Saix?" Lea asked angrily.

"When I took Takiren from the pod I made her activate the jewel. Not that she was fully aware of what she was doing. I had to use my own methods of persuasion. Takiren would never agree to this procedure," Saix explained stoically.

"What have you done?" Lea asked, still furious.

"Nothing a few hours of rest will not heal. Perhaps it is better this way. Now she cannot interfere."

"Saix, I swear, if you've hurt her, I'll-"

"You are in no position to be threatening me, Lea. It is yourself you should be worrying about."

"Don't worry," Lea relented, backing down. "I won't fight you. You kept your word and Takiren's still alive. You…you can take my heart."

"Whoa! Hold on a minute! What's this about hearts?" Ydem asked, panicked. "Nobody said anything about hearts!"

"You mean you didn't tell him?" Lea asked.

"I told him what he needed to know in order to gain his cooperation. I told him that he would be part of medical experiment. All he wanted in return was the munny for that foolish sitar."

"But you can't make him do this if he doesn't want to!"

"Correction. Now that he is here, he doesn't have a choice."

"Ludor, did you know?" Lea finally addressed the third man in their group.

"I knew," he said, speaking for the first time in a long while. "But I'm doing it to stay out of jail. Besides, do you have any idea what kind of power we'll have if we survive this?" he said as he continued to shuffle his deck of cards.

"That's a big if, Ludor."

"Well it's a gamble I'm willing to take," he said smugly. "If anyone on Galenna is strong enough to withstand the rending of body and heart as I understand it, it's you and me."

"But what about me?" Ydem asked fearfully.

"You? Hell, I don't even know why you're here."

Ydem barely managed to keep his whimpering in check at that comment.

"Now, if you will all hold still for a moment, I cannot have you getting away-"

With that, Saix raised his hands and shot bursts of light at the three men. The next thing they knew they were bound at the wrists and ankles by cuffs of pure energy and they seemed to be hanging in midair.

"I- I can't-move!" Ydem shouted, struggling to try and free himself.

"How are you doing this?" Lea demanded.

"It is just one of my abilities. If you retain a sense of self once you are split perhaps you will receive this kind of power."

"What do you mean? Are you saying that you've been through this procedure?"

"Not this exact one. Something similar to it. But your suspicions are correct. I do not have a heart. I am a Nobody."

"W-what's a Nobody?" Ydem asked.

"It is what the three of you will become once I have used the jewel witch's blade to unlock your hearts. A Nobody is the body and soul of a living being left behind when his or her heart is taken by darkness. If your will is strong enough then you will retain a sense of self as I have. I have reason to believe that out of all of your people, you three are strong enough to do that. Ludor because of his lust for power and his survivalist instinct. Ydem because of his passion for his music. And you," he said to Lea as he brandished Takiren's weapon before him. "Because of the great love you bear for the jewel witch, Takiren. And if her feelings are just as strong, then maybe she will survive as well."

"LEAVE TAKIREN OUT OF THIS!" Lea screamed, struggling futilely against his bonds.

"Ah, such devotion for something so fleeting. And now it is time to put that strength to the test!"

But as Saix was preparing to slash the blade through Lea's heart, the door behind him suddenly opened. A young woman stood in the doorway. She was clad in baggy, black slacks and a lavender tank top. Loose braids of dark purple hair hung to her shoulders and her emerald green eyes were wide with confusion and fear.

"Takiren!" Saix hissed.

"Lea! What's happening here?"

"Takiren, you have to get out of here now! Go!"

"I won't leave you here!" she cried as she raced to him. Saix backed away and Takiren flung her arms around Lea.

"I thought I'd never see you again," Lea choked, hardly able to contain the emotion of seeing her back from the dead. "But you're in danger here. You must go. Now!"

"Never."

Lea felt his resolve melting away.

"Takiren…kiss me one last time, before he takes my heart away," he pleaded, on the verge of tears.

"What?"

"Please…just do it."

Slowly, Takiren lifted her face up from his chest. She tangled her fingers in his unruly red hair, and captured his lips in a smoldering kiss. Lea drank in the passionate essence of that kiss like water, imprinting everything about that moment into his mind. The feel of her body against his…the clean scent of her hair…the sweet taste of her soft lips. After this moment, if what Saix had said proved to be true, then he would truly never see her again. She would be dead to him. Their life…the love that they shared…everything would be lost. It broke his heart to know that he would never again kiss her like this, or hold her in his arms…never again tell her how much he loved her. Hot tears began to stream silently down his face.

"I love you," he whispered tearfully against her mouth, breaking off what he knew would be their final kiss.

Takiren backed away from him, about to respond when Lea suddenly threw his head back and gave a strangled cry, his eyes wide with pain. Takiren looked down and saw the blade of her own weapon, Liberator's Heart, sticking out of his chest. Saix had stabbed him in the back, directly piercing his heart.

Takiren looked on in horror as her lover's face cracked into fragments not unlike a broken mirror.

"Please- Takiren…" Lea grunted. "You must live."

Then, with a burst of light, his entire body shattered into a million pieces like a destroyed jewel.

"NOOOOOO!"

XxX

_Hollow Bastion_

_(4 years later)_

Takiren awoke from the nightmare screaming as she had hundreds of times before. She shot up in bed, searching the darkness for Saix's leering face. This time it took her a full five minutes to realize that she was no longer on Galenna. The confrontation with Saix was over. Lea was gone.

Suddenly the door to her room burst open and Aerith ran in.

"Takiren, are you all right? I heard you screaming."

"Four years," she said, her voice trembling. "It's been four years tonight."

"Another bad dream?"

"Yeah," Takiren whispered as her mind drifted back into the memory of that last kiss. She could still feel the warmth of his body pressed up against hers. Whenever she curled her fingers she could feel his wild hair caught in her grasp. In her mind, Lea's lips were still pressed against hers, begging for one more day. She could still taste the sorrow of his tears.

Aerith didn't speak. She knew that there was nothing that she could say. Nothing could penetrate Takiren's shell when she got like this. Well, nothing except Leon smacking her upside the head, and then she would go berserk and start screaming that he was some guy called Saix and demanding to know where Lea was. Sometimes Aerith wondered what really happened when her world was destroyed. Takiren would never give them the entire story. The only thing that the friends could gather from her story was that she believed that her fiancé, Lea, was still alive somewhere. Ever since she had shown up in Traverse Town, Takiren had disappeared and reappeared on her search for her lost love. They never knew when she would show up or how and when she would depart, but they helped her when they could. And now that Sora had sealed away the darkness of Hollow Bastion and they had returned home, she had somehow found her way to them again. She had been back with them all of seven hours and already the old nightmares were plaguing her. But either way, Aerith sat down on the edge of the bed now and waited for Takiren's trance to pass.

Takiren, meanwhile, was caught in the grips of a vision. A boy with silver hair was standing in front of the bed. She had met him briefly on a journey to Agrabah. His name was Rick…or Riku, or something like that.

"Why are you just sitting around when you know that he's still out there somewhere? What if he's suffering and needs your help?"

_But_, she protested to the apparition, _Saix said-_

"Who cares what Saix said? You can save him. There are still places you haven't searched yet. Go!"

Takiren knew that the boy was no more than an illusion created by her sickened, stressed mind, but she also knew that he was right. Who could stand idlely by while there was work to be done? Her conscience would not allow her to rest until Lea was back safe in her arms.

"Riku," she whispered aloud.

"Riku?" Aerith asked, confused. "How do you know about Riku?"

"No…please," Takiren grunted as she struggled to break free of the hallucination and rise from the bed. "I need to go!"

"But- but you just got here," Aerith tried to argue as Takiren stood up and started to gather her gear.

"No matter," she answered hastily as she picked the pouch that contained her arsenal of jewels up from the nightstand and strapped it around her waist. "I am summoned."

"Summoned? What do you mean? Summoned where? Who's summoning you? Where will you go this time?"

"I don't know where I'll end up. My heart knows what I seek. I will follow where it leads me."

But just as Takiren was throwing the last of her supplies into her knap sack, the door to her room was flung open again and Leon barged in, followed by Cid and Yuffie.

"Don't you know how to knock?" Takiren asked, sighing in exasperation. Normally she wasn't this short with people, but she was in a hurry to be gone.

"You're running again, aren't you?" Leon said, more than a little irked with her lack of consistency.

"I can't rest. Not until I find him."

"Takiren, I've said it before and I'll say it again, if you really want to find Lea then you should wait for Sora to return," Leon said, fixing her with a hard stare.

"I've heard these arguments before," Takiren said sadly. "You don't even know when Sora will come back, do you?"

Leon begrudgingly shook his head No.

"Besides, I seriously doubt that your precious Keyblade Master could help Lea."

"Well maybe we could help if you'd just tell us what happened to him," Yuffie said indignantly. "How do you even know he's still alive?"

"It's…complicated," she said, as she had so many times before. "But I know that he's alive. I can feel it. And Saix told me-"

"Who the hell is this Saix you're always talking about?" Leon shouted. He had finally had it up to there with Takiren's cryptic answers.

"A Nobody," she finally answered.

"What?" all four friends gasped as one.

"Please, no more questions. That is really all the answer I have to give you," she said as she knelt in the middle of the room.

"Hey! Wait a second!" Cid tried to speak to her.

"Don't try to stop me," Takiren said to all four of them. "I don't know where I'm going or when I'll return. But I _will_ return."

With that said, Takiren turned her attention back to the task at hand. She ran through her jewel supply until she found the one she wanted, the wild fire gem. She held the gem in her open palm and focused her energy on it.

"I summon thee," she whispered to the jewel, and instantly it transformed into a long spear that shone brilliantly in the dim light of the bedroom. Then, focusing all of her will power on opening the gateway, she channeled her power into the spear and slashed it violently through the air. The space she had slashed split apart, revealing a door into the darkness.

"Be careful," Aerith warned as Takiren stood up.

"Good luck, kid," Cid added.

"Come back soon," Yuffie said.

Takiren turned to look at her rag-tag band of friends one lost time before entering the portal, particularly at Leon. She didn't want to part with him on bad terms. But apparently neither did he.

"I hope you find what you're looking for."

Takiren nodded once before stepping through the portal and sealing the way behind her.

"When do you think she'll be back?" Aerith asked aloud.

"Who could say?" Leon said as he walked out of the room. "If I've learned anything about Takiren, it's that she's an obstinate girl."

XxX

_Castle Oblivion_

_(Same Night)_

Roxas crept silently through the stark, white halls of Castle Oblivion. Some sort of storm was raging in the strange half-existence that lay beyond the castle walls. It seemed to match the turmoil brewing within. Everyone was on edge. Something was about to happen. Roxas could tell Organization XIII was keeping something from its youngest member, namely himself. Something big was going on and no one would tell him what. Figured. They never told him anything. It was on nights of major frustration like this one, that Roxas would go and see Axel.

Axel, Number VIII, was the only one who was ever really nice to him. When Roxas first came to the Organization, Axel had befriended him. He'd shown him the ropes. And when the fiery redhead wasn't setting things on fire, acting like a clown, or being a complete jackass, he was actually a pretty cool guy. Axel was…well…his best friend. As far as Nobodies went anyway.

When he reached Axel's room, Roxas knocked on the door. When he didn't get an answer Roxas figured that Axel was either not in or asleep, so he decided to find out for himself. Roxas pushed open the door…and received the shock of his young life.

Axel was lying on his bed in nothing but a pair of black pants. He was tossing and turning, trying to free himself from the flimsy sheets he'd managed to get himself tangled in. His body was wet with sweat, his normally wild hair matted down against his skull, and he was shouting to high heaven. Now that Roxas had opened the door the noise was starting to carry out into the hall. As Roxas approached his struggling friend he noticed shreds of black material littering the bed and floor. It took him a few minutes to realize that they had once been Axel's Organization robes.

"Axel!" he shouted, gripping his shoulder and trying to shake him awake.

"No…Takiren, no!"

"AXEL!"

Suddenly Axel sat bolt up right in bed. His eyes snapped wide open, revealing an insane fire in their crystal green depths. Before he even realized who was standing in front of him, Axel summoned a chakram into fiery existence and slammed the bladed weapon into the boy's chest. Axel retracted the chakram just in time for Saix and Marluxia to come racing into the room.

Roxas' cry of pain was what finally brought Axel out of his nightmare. His eyes filled with horror when he saw his friend collapsed against the far wall of his room with a ghastly wound running from his right shoulder down to his stomach. There was no blood though. The fiery chakram had cauterized the wound.

"ROXAS!" he shouted as he leapt off the bed and knelt in front of the boy.

"Number VIII! What is the meaning of this?" Saix demanded furiously as the other members of the Organization gathered outside the doorway, attracted by the noise.

"H- help me," he appealed to the second in command, disregarding how bad the situation looked. "He's barely breathing!"

Saix turned back to the group in the hallway. "Lexaeus," he said. The man quickly stepped forward, healing potion in hand. He entered the room and quickly knelt down beside Axel. He uncorked the bottle and tipped the liquid down Roxas' throat. For a moment there was nothing. But then Roxas coughed and the wound began to heal. When he was able to, he sat up. And when Axel realized that the crisis was over he assumed his usual sarcastic manner.

"Sorry, but that's what you get for coming into _my_ room unannounced. Don't you forget it. And don't go scaring me like that again."

"It's all right," Roxas said as Axel helped him stand up. "You were having a nightmare. By the way, who, or what, is Takiren?"

"Takiren?" Axel stared blankly at the blond. "Uh…I'm pretty sure I don't know any Takiren."

"Whatever you say. But that's the name you were shouting in your sleep."

The only ones present who reacted to that statement were Saix and the newly arrived Superior.

"Number XIII, everyone, I think it would be best if you all returned to your rooms immediately," Saix ordered.

Roxas and Lexaeus trooped out of Axel's room and followed the others back down the hall. But not before Saix ordered Lexaeus to return with a sleeping potion in five minutes. When he had done this, the only ones remaining in Axel's room were Axel himself, Saix, and Xemnas.

"So what was that about?" Saix asked him condescendingly.

"I guess I had a nightmare and Roxas woke me up on the wrong side of the bed," Axel replied glibly before downing the sleeping potion Lexaeus had given him.

"And you don't remember anything about it?" Xemnas asked.

"No, not rea- hey…wait a sec," Axel said sleepily. Dang that potion was fast. "I do…kinda (yawn)…remember- something-"

"What?" Saix questioned sharply.

"Would ya calm down and (yawn) let me finish?" Axel jibed as he collapsed back down on his bed. "I…remember…"

"Yes?"

"Eyes…green (yawn) e-zzzzzzzzzzzz." Axel didn't get a chance to finish, as he was sleeping like a log.

Xemnas turned away from the sleeping Axel with an agitated snarl.

"Superior…he could have been talking about someone else."

"We can't take that chance."

"Could it be that the unchained portion of his memory is…chaining _itself _back together?" Saix suggested tentatively.

"No, that's not possible. More likely Takiren has picked up his trail again. It's almost strange. I would have thought she would have given up long ago."

"She will never give up. Not so long as she is still breathing. I would not expect anything less of her. Unfortunately a bond like theirs is not so easily severed. Perhaps only death will end it. Her heart is very strong."

"But what could her heart possibly be calling out to that allows her to track him? Axel no longer has a heart!"

"I know, Superior. But either way, we need her to find her way to us eventually."

"In any case, I want you to locate Takiren immediately. When you do find her, bring her here."

"With pleasure, Superior. But what about the Keyblade Master…and Axel?"

"Let us not think of the Keyblade's chosen one now. I am confident the plan will work. However it will be necessary to bring him here if it fails. And as for Axel, Marluxia can control him. I will send word to him tomorrow. Under no circumstances is Axel ever to come into contact with Takiren while she is a "guest" here. I will not run that risk. And no matter what, Takiren must not leave this place with her heart intact."

"It shall be done, Superior."

XxX

(A/N) So what do ya'll think? Questions? Comments? Concerns? Perhaps you even like the story. Just thought I'd give you a taste of it before finals start next week. Let me know if I should continue with it at all.


	2. At the End of the Millennium

(A/N) 32 fricking hits! In one day! Gah! I feel really loved right now. I hope you peoples like it. Sorry about the slow update. I had finals and now I'm on vacation. My access to a computer this summer is going to be limited at best. Anonymous person type thing. I wuv you sooooo much right now. And as for RENT…hell yeah! I'm a RENT fanatic. A lot of the chapter titles are gonna be inspired by RENT songs. Heck, even the title was inspired by that song. Bonika, if this is the kind of story you've been looking for than I hope it meets your expectations. The Pirate Illusionist, unless my eyes are much deceived I remember you from Band Wars. Yay! Do hope you like this one just as well. Darkriku01, thank you very much for your vote of confidence. And peoples, if you read the story, could ya please review? I would love you forever and shower you with chocolate and fluffy lambs. (Looks at last sentence.) Oooooooook, that's not dirty at all. Sorry, I'm a band kid. Therefore I have a relatively twisted sense of humor.

Full Summary: Who was Axel before his heart was taken by darkness? And why is that information suddenly going to make or break Organization XIII? What if a Nobody really can be saved from the awful fate of being incomplete? Can a person give her heart completely for the sake of another?

**_One Kiss Before the Sun Sets_**  
_Chapter 2: At the End of the Millennium _

Shadows…darkness…pain. For someone who didn't have access to Gummi space, this was what travel between the worlds was like. For a human to travel through the corridors of darkness took incredible strength of will. Takiren had been doing it for years and she still couldn't do more than a passage or two without a couple of days' rest in between. Leon always said that he was impressed that she could do it at all. Sometimes she wondered at herself too, but then she would remember Lea's face as Saix pulled the blade from his back and she would somehow come up with reserves of strength she didn't even know she had.

Now was just such a time. The infinite darkness was closing in around the tiny light that was her heart. The darkness had been steadily growing in power and Takiren wasn't sure how much longer she could keep it at bay. This time it could well be the last race she would ever run in.

If it weren't for the images she held of Lea, she knew that her very being would shatter into oblivion at any moment. Only her frantic desire to find Lea kept her strong.

And then, just when Takiren thought that she could take it no more, she reached the end of the half-existent corridor. The door opened to expel what did not belong and Takiren felt herself falling through cool, untainted air. It was daylight. Never mind that she was on a direct crash course with the street below, so long as there was light again. Traveling between worlds was difficult. Doing it on only two hours of sleep…well, that was a death wish for any sane person.

But life had other plans for Takiren, and for the young man who happened to be standing directly beneath her. Generally one does not expect to see a half-conscious young woman in a purple cloak come falling out of the sky. Therefore no one on the ground was looking up when Takiren landed right on top of Seifer, taking them both to the ground.

"What- the (cough) hell?" Seifer choked out, gasping for breath.

"Ah, thank you," Takiren said, still dazed from the sudden light input and the crash. "You broke my fall perfectly. I do apologize for the inconvenience."

"GET OFF ME!" Seifer shouted furiously, shoving the newcomer off of him.

"Hey, you know, if there's one thing I can't stand it's rudeness," Takiren said. She was starting to sound more than a little tipsy.

"You fell on me!" Seifer pointed out.

"And I apologized for it."

"Yeah, well, apology not accepted."

"Oh, I see how it is."

"When did you get into town? I'm head of the disciplinary squad and I've never seen you around here before," he said smugly.

"Ooh, tough guy eh?" she mocked, her words slurring together just a little.

"You wanna make something of it?" he threatened.

"You wanna fight me? Ok, I'll fight you. Prepare to get your ass whooped!" she declared boldly, raising a fist in the air and stumbling backwards. The leader of the group that had been facing down Seifer's gang before her entrance quickly stepped forward and caught her.

"Don't listen to Seifer. Him and his "squad" just like to pick fights," Hayner advised her as he helped her stand again.

" 'zat so?" she asked as she turned to face her would-be challenger. "All the more reason why I should teach him a lesson now!"

"Looks like you twerps will get your pounding later," Rai said as their leader squared off against Takiren. He was brandishing a Struggle bat in an attempt to intimidate her. But Takiren just laughed. She had faced much bigger, tougher opponents than this boy. He thought he was something else…but she would show him. She knew that she still wasn't in full control of her body or her senses after the journey from Hollow Bastion, but she also knew that she was still capable of summoning a jewel.

"I'm gonna gut you like a fish!" she said stupidly.

"Pence, Olette," Hayner said to his two companions. "I seriously think this chick is drunk."

But just as Seifer was about to spring forward and lavish a few punishing blows over his opponent, she yanked a jewel out of the pouch at her waist. As she slammed the emerald into the battle gauntlet she wore on her wrist, she began reciting an incantation.

"TEAR HIM APART…LIKE A GLIMMER TWINKLING AMONGST THE GREEN LEAVES…MY BRAVE TAURUS!"

As the words poured out of her mouth, so too did energy pour out of the jewel. The green strains of energy pooled together to form a massive beast; a bull that stood on its hind legs clad in armor and brandishing a wicked-looking sword. While the creature was transparent it was perfectly capable of causing a world of hurt. Seifer stopped just short of the creature's blade.

"Uh…S-Seifer?" Vivi asked nervously. "What is that thing?"

Seifer looked the creature up and down…and decided he liked his limbs just fine where they were.

"AM-SCRAY!" he shouted to his squad before turning and darting away down the street. The gang quickly followed suit.

"That is what I'm talkin' about!" Takiren shouted after them, pumping her fist carelessly in the air before passing out in a dead heap on the cobblestone. The bull creature disappeared soon after that.

"Um…confused much?" Hayner asked as he looked down at the unconscious girl.

"Hayner," Pence began. "Confused does not even begin to cover it."

XxX  
_Twilight Town_  
_(One day later) _

"How long is she gonna be out? Seifer didn't even lay a hand on her, so what do you think could be wrong with her?"

"Search me. I have no idea. If she was just drunk then it should have passed by now. I think it had something to do with that huge monster she summoned. Or the fact that she fell out of thin air!"

"Either way, I don't think we should leave her here again tonight. What if she wakes up and freaks like she did with Seifer's gang? I say we give it another hour. If she doesn't wake up we'll take her to a doctor."

Takiren heard the voices coming from somewhere above her but she couldn't place them. She'd been drifting somewhere between waking and dreaming for awhile now, trying to remember what had happened. She remembered leaving Hollow Bastion and the journey through the corridor. She vaguely recalled summoning Taurus but that was about it. It was long past time to wake up and face whatever world she'd come to.

Takiren slowly opened her eyes. Her first glance told her that she was in some sort of back alley room, lying on a ratty old couch. Her second sweep of the room revealed the owners of the voices she'd heard in her sleep. A small, brown-haired girl, a short, slightly chubby boy, and a taller boy with blond hair.

"Hello. I'm right here," she said groggily. "I can hear every word. And unless you're planning on killing me you don't have to worry about me freaking."

"She's awake!" the girl said as she walked towards Takiren.

"What happened?" Takiren asked.

"That's what we were wondering," the blond said. "We're not really used to people falling outta the sky around here. You've got some explaining to do."

"First tell me where I am and how long I've been out."

"You're in Twilight Town. This is our hang out, the Usual Spot. You've been out for almost a day," the girl supplied. "My name's Olette. This is Pence. And the wet blanket is Hayner."

Takiren smiled at the joke, happy that something could still be normal.

"I'm Takiren. Obviously I'm not from around here-"

Hayner snorted at this. "Um, duh. So where are you from?"

"Another world. Another world called Galenna."

"Whoa! Hold up! Rewind a minute. Did you say another world?" Pence asked.

"Yes. I traveled here through the corridors of darkness that connect the worlds," she explained patiently.

"So…you're saying that there are other worlds besides this one?" Hayner asked skeptically. "That's hard to swallow. Do you have any proof?"

"What? Apart from me falling out of the sky and the creature I know you saw me summon…you want more proof?"

Hayner just stared at her, not speaking.

"Fine," she said with a weary smile as she climbed up off of the couch. She summoned the jewel spear, Sentinel Breeze, that she had used in Hollow Bastion and repeated the same process. When the dark portal was opened before his eyes all Hayner could do was stare in awe.

"Well," Pence started, sounding slightly nervous. "I'd say we have sufficient proof that Takiren's not lying."

"But if you're from another world then why are you here?" Olette asked.

"I'm looking for someone," Takiren answered, her smile suddenly going slack as she closed the portal.

"Who?"

"Lea," she began. "He was…well…we were to be married. But Galenna was destroyed."

"Destroyed?" Pence asked, shocked. "But how? How can you destroy an entire world?"

"It was connected to the darkness."

"The darkness?"

"Yes. There is darkness at the core of every world, just as there is darkness at the core of every heart. You could say that every world has a heart as well. The darkness within Galenna was released and it was consumed along with everyone in it."

"How did you escape?" Olette asked, her eyes wide.

"Because I had the strength of will to leave. With the help of my jewels and the strength of my love for Lea, I was able to escape Galenna before my heart was swallowed."

"But…wasn't Lea…destroyed?"

"No," Takiren whispered icily. "He was taken away…by a group that calls itself Organization XIII. I've been searching for them for four years."

"That's so sad!" Olette cried.

"So," Takiren continued in an attempt to keep the memories at bay. "That said, has anything strange happened here lately?"

"Short of you falling out of the sky? Nope, nothing," Hayner said.

"Then I'll just have to have a look around. I'll leave once I've done that. If I stay too long it'll only mean trouble for your world. Disaster sort of follows me like that," Takiren said, trying to be cheerful about the whole business.

_Something called me here. I know it. I have to know what it is. _

"But…Takiren? What happened to Galenna…could…could that happen to this world?" Pence asked.

Takiren sighed at this. She could do nothing but give them a straight answer.

"It's possible. If the darkness in this world is ever unleashed."

Olette gasped. Pence made a sort of choking noise. Hayner jumped up angrily.

"Look here-"

"Please," Takiren interrupted him. "Tell me where I can start looking. The sooner I leave, the less likely it is that darkness will follow me here."

"I think the best place for you to start would be the train station. Twilight Town pretty much runs on train schedules. If you wanted information you could get it there," Pence advised her before breathlessly giving her directions to the station.

"All right then. I'm off," Takiren said, hurrying towards the curtain door.

"But you just got here. Don't you think you should stick around for a bit?" Olette asked.

"No. Like I said, the longer I stay the more risk there is for some Heartless or some Nobodies to show up."

"Wait! What?" Hayner asked.

"I've said too much already. I have to leave."

"Well- will we ever see you again?" Pence asked.

"Perhaps, if my path ever brings me back to this place."

"Good luck, Takiren!" Olette shouted to her as she walked away from the Usual Spot and down the street. She didn't turn back. In another life Takiren had been good at making friends, but she wasn't in the habit of doing it these days. Having many friends on many worlds only meant more and more people to worry about. Takiren couldn't afford to divide her focus even a little bit.

It was very late in the day and the sun was beginning to set. There weren't a lot of people out on the streets so Takiren started to get suspicious when she felt eyes on her back. After four years of fighting she had learned to trust her instincts.

Her hunch finally proved to be right when she was just outside of the train station. She was about to enter when she felt a flutter of movement somewhere behind her. Takiren spun on her heels and found herself surrounded by a dozen Berserker Nobodies…Saix's legion.

"I don't have time for this! BRAVE TAURUS!" she shouted as she whipped out the emerald and slammed it into her battle gauntlet. "TEAR THEM APART, LIKE A GLIMMER TWINKLING AMONGST THE GREEN LEAVES!"

Instantly the giant bull warrior appeared before her and started crushing the Berserkers. Takiren summoned Sentinel Breeze to finish off the remaining six. She was in no position to wrest the hammers away from the cumbersome Nobodies so she simply flitted behind them and stabbed them to oblivion with the jewel spear. When she had taken care of three of them and Taurus had done its part there were three of the creatures still remaining. She was about to get busy when she suddenly heard a voice calling to her from across the square.

"TAKIREN!" It was Hayner, followed by Pence and Olette.

"HAYNER, NO! DON'T COME OUT HERE!" she screamed, trying to warn them away. But she was too late. One of the Berserkers was heading straight for the three. She wouldn't be able to reach them in time!

When Hayner saw the huge Nobody lumbering towards him, he took a step backwards and fell. Olette and Pence quickly knelt beside him and they all stared in horror at the oncoming Berserker. But just as the creature was about to bring its hammer smashing down on Hayner's head, a huge broadsword blocked its path. Taurus had stepped in in the knick of time. Taurus finished off the Berserker and Takiren destroyed the remaining two. Once the task was finished, Takiren recalled Taurus and Sentinel Breeze. She quickly ran towards the three friends, who were shaking badly.

"W- what was that thing?" Pence asked, not bothering to hide his fear this time.

"A Nobody."

"What's-" Hayner started.

"No questions. Believe me when I say that you're happier not knowing. Once I leave they will too. For awhile anyway."

"That's- what's been hunting you?" Olette whispered.

"Yeah. And they'll never stop either. Not unless death or darkness takes me."

"But how can you keep fighting those things? They'll get you one day!" Hayner shouted.

"That might be true. But hey, don't worry about me. I've gotten this far. I can handle myself. They won't quit, but neither will I, not until I find Lea. Now if you'll excuse me, let's see what these Berserkers were so eager to keep me away from."

"Hey, hold on. We're going in with you," Hayner said as he jumped up.

"It could be dangerous," she warned.

"I'm not worried," Pence said. "We've seen what you can do with those jewels of yours."

"If you insist," Takiren relented, turning and leading the way back across the square and into the station.

"Oh my gosh. Look!" Olette cried out, pointing to the only train that was currently parked in the station. It was without a doubt the strangest train car Takiren had ever seen. It had a distinctly round shape and it came in a blue so vibrant it just didn't fit in with the station. The train was also covered with some kind of star pattern and-

"What kind of train wears a hat?" Takiren asked nobody in particular.

"It's the ghost train of Twilight Town," Pence replied. "They say that anyone who gets on board will never return."

_**Come. I will show you the way. **_

Takiren spun around. No one was behind her. None of the others had spoken. But she knew that she had heard a voice.

"Then where-" she mumbled to herself as her eyes slowly drifted back towards the train. Then it clicked.

"That's it."

"What's it?" Hayner asked her.

"This is why I was called here. This is where I have to go."

"Are you serious?" Olette shouted.

"Well, you did say you wanted something strange. In Twilight Town this is about as strange as it gets," Pence reasoned.

"Then I guess I'll be seeing you around," Takiren said as she began to walk towards the train.

"Okay, if it's time it's time. But don't be a stranger. Stop by again some day. You never know when we might need you to clobber Seifer again," Hayner said with a wry grin.

Takiren stopped when she heard his voice. She didn't turn around but she still acknowledged him.

"You know, somehow that works so much better than goodbye."

XxX  
_The World That Never Was  
Frozen Light  
(Same moment) _

"Have you located her yet?" Xemnas asked Saix as the two walked down the expansive hall. The walls of the room were lined with large glass pods. Each pod contained a living human, frozen. Some were frozen poised to run, some just stood with expressions of abject terror on their faces, some were kneeling in prayer. More still were locked in fighting stances. All frozen in time. But the two Nobodies walked past row after row of living death with an air of indifference. They were looking for one person in specific.

"Yes. Her energy signature alerted me when she reentered one of the corridors. She ended up in a place called Twilight Town. I sent a patrol of Berserkers after her. They haven't returned yet."

"You don't actually expect them to return do you?"

"No. Certainly not," Saix answered matter-of-factly. "They were more of a calling card than anything else. I will go to Twilight Town myself and retrieve her."

"Could you defeat her one on one?" Xemnas asked contemptuously, staring pointedly at the x-shaped scar on Saix's face.

"I could, Superior," Saix defended himself. "Our last battle was not conclusive. Besides, I won't need to fight her. She will come with me freely enough. All I need do is mention her beloved Lea and she will follow without question."

"All right then. If you are certain," Xemnas consented, finally stopping in front of one of the pods. The pod in question contained a young girl, no more than twelve years old. The child appeared to be fast asleep. She was a very slight girl with pale skin and lavender hair that had been lopped off at the neck. Had her eyes been open Xemnas knew that they would have been a deep, emerald green.

"But…Superior, why come here?"

"Just as I will not take the risk of Takiren confronting Axel, I will not take the risk that your plans for her might fail. I want a back up plan and I intend to use this girl as leverage. I will have Takiren's power. I will awaken her, and then we will hide her away until we have determined the success or failure of your experiments with Takiren. If you succeed then the child will be eliminated and we will say nothing more. But if you should fail then I will use her to bait Takiren."

"There will be no need for that, Superior," Saix assured him. "But…about Axel, and the experiments about to be performed with Takiren…Considering their importance I am beginning to doubt Marluxia's suitability to handle the situation at Castle Oblivion."

"Yes, I know. I was starting to doubt his suitability a long time ago. In fact…I suspect betrayal."

"Really, Superior?"

"I'm not certain. That is why Axel must be present during the trials. He has agreed to be my eyes."

"But what of Takiren?"

"I admit I'm nervous about it, but Axel is loyal. If I tell him to stay away from her then he will. He just needs to make sure that Marluxia does not betray us. And if he does, well…" Xemnas let the sentence hang unfinished.

Just then a dark vortex opened up a few feet from the two and Axel stepped out of it.

"Superior, you sent for me?"

"Yes, Axel. I have another assignment for you. Do you recognize this girl?" Xemnas asked him, nodding his head towards the glass pod.

"Yeah," Axel said without hesitation. "That's Azmaria Gylfie. Jewel Apprentice of the House of Gylfie."

"I believe she was an acquaintance of yours in your other life," Xemnas commented casually as he started to open the pod.

"That's right."

"Well I'm going to wake her up. When I do I want you to take her to Hollow Bastion. Leave her there. And Axel…she must never see your face," he added sternly as the pod fell away from the frozen girl.

"Understood, Superior," Axel complied, sounding oddly serious as he stared at the sleeping child. He remembered Azmaria, but something about all of his memories of her seemed somehow…out of place.

Almost as if something was missing.

XxX  
_Twilight Town  
(Same evening) _

Takiren looked up when the train came to a halt at long last. The wait had seemed so much longer than it really was.

She climbed off the train to find herself standing on a neatly trimmed lawn with a large tower overlooking everything.

"Well…I'm impressed," she said aloud before approaching the massive double doors and shoving them open. A staircase spiraling up and away to the top of the tower greeted her sight. Without hesitation, Takiren began the trek up the stairs. As she climbed higher and higher, her thoughts drifted back to Saix.

XxX

"_Lea," Takiren whispered as she collapsed to her knees. "Please…please! Come back!"_

"_Uh, Takiren? I know you're upset and all, but do you think you could maybe GIVE ME A HAND OVER HERE!" Ydem screamed in sheer terror. Takiren looked up just in time to see Saix drive Liberator's Heart into Ydem's chest. He gave one long shriek of pain before his body met the same fate as Lea's._

_Takiren looked down at Ludor, the last one left. If she'd had it her way, she would have never associated with the foul Sanack again. But now-_

"_Ludor! What's happening here?" she demanded hysterically. _

_Ludor didn't answer her right away. He hung in the spot where Saix had pinned him, sneering wolfishly at her. _

"_You should have married me when you had the chance, Takiren! I am about to become more powerful than all seven of the houses combined. All of Galenna will taste my vengeance! YOU-"_

_Ludor's tirade was cut short by Saix driving Liberator's Heart into his back and exposing his heart to the darkness. When he was gone, Liberator's Heart suddenly reverted to jewel form in Saix's hands. He flung the shimmering blood ruby at Takiren's feet and turned away from her. _

"_You have served your purpose. You should leave this place…for now."_

"_Served my…? What are you talking about? Where's Lea? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" _

"_Lea? Heh. The Lea you knew is gone. His heart belongs to darkness, and his soul…to oblivion."_

"_Darkness? Oblivion? WHAT DO YOU MEAN?" she screamed angrily._

"_The power of darkness is a living thing. It is a force to be reckoned with. Often times hearts will gravitate to the darkness seeking power, and the darkness consumes hearts in order to grow stronger. But when a heart is consumed by darkness, a Heartless is born."_

"_Heartless?" Takiren asked, beyond confused at this point._

"_Heartless. Those without hearts. Petty creatures, and yet they know not the power of what they hold. For a Hearltess is nothing more than a captive heart."_

"_Is that…what happened to Lea?"_

"_Yes. These jewel weapons that your family wields, they thrive on the collective powers of the hearts of your ancestors. How this can be, I do not know, but it is how the jewels can perform the feat you just witnessed. Ordinary weapons cannot unlock hearts. You Gylfies possess the greatest power imaginable and yet you wield it without allegiance or knowledge," Saix said, his voice bordering on irritation._

"_Then it's me you want. Me and my power," Takiren reasoned, latching onto this last shred of hope. "Give Lea back! Take me instead!"_

"_All in good time, Takiren. While that is the fate that awaits you at the end of your journey, we are not quite ready for you. We will make good use of your power."_

"_Who?"_

"_The Organization. It is the final fate of a heart consumed by darkness. Nonexistence. Not death, but a sort of half life. A Nobody is born from the body and soul left behind when a heart is taken away. If ever you find your beloved Lea again, that is what you will find."_

"_Why are you telling me this?" Takiren demanded. Her voice was a deadly whisper. _

"_Why? Simply because I need you to know. If you are to survive what is to come then you need to know what it is that you are about to face."_

"_But why Lea?" she asked as she slipped her hand into the pouch at her waist. Her fingers curled around the wildfire stone. She had to keep him talking long enough to call a jewel._

"_Because of his strength of will. He was strong enough that his Nobody will maintain a sense of being. Now if you will excuse me," Saix began as he opened a portal. "I must get going. I have other business. But I will return for your heart soon enough, Takiren Gylfie."_

_Quick as lightening, Sentinel Breeze flashed into existence in Takiren's hands. She whirled the spear through the air and launched herself at Saix._

"_Give Lea back to me!" she screamed as she buried the spearhead in Saix's chest._

_Saix glanced down at the spear sticking out of his chest…and sneered cruelly. _

"_You know, that might have worked…if I had a real heart that **could** be destroyed."_

_With that Saix raised his hands and sent both Takiren and Sentinel Breeze flying across the room. Takiren crashed into the wall, her hand curled loosely around Sentinel Breeze._

"_Who…are you?" she hissed, clearly in pain._

"_My name is Saix. I am what Lea has become. A Nobody. This empty shell is all that remains."_

"_How could you do this to Lea?" Takiren shouted, tears streaming down her face as she struggled to her feet._

"_Does it really matter? He is gone from you and you are dead to him. Do you hate me Takiren, Jewel Witch of the house of Gylfie? Do you feel the rage boiling in your heart?"_

_Takiren didn't answer. She was too angry. She threw herself at Saix again, lashing out with her spear. Saix easily dodged each swipe._

"_Well cherish that anger, Takiren. Soon you will not have a heart to feel it with."_

"_GIVE LEA BACK HIS HEART!"_

"_I cannot do that. If it was really that simple, don't you think I would have a heart?"_

"_DAMN YOU!" she shrieked, continuing to strike at him._

"_What a fool to challenge that which does not exist."_

_But Saix had reduced himself to mocking her in his own subtle way and he had left himself open. Takiren got in two clean swipes, neatly slicing open her opponent's face._

_Saix stepped back from the enraged girl, clutching his face and grunting in pain and annoyance. He pulled his hands away from his face, saw he blood wetting his black gloves, and glared at Takiren._

"_You will pay for that," he said tersely. Then he held out his hands and summoned up the strangest sword Takiren had ever seen. The jagged blade widened as it swept down, but instead of ending in a point, the sword ended in a kind of circlet. This large blue circlet had a series of spikes protruding from it. _

"_You wish to fight? All right. You could do with a lesson in manners."_

_Saix raised the sword high and brought it crashing down. Takiren tried to block it with Sentinel Breeze but the spear splintered back into jewel form on impact. She quickly rolled to the side to avoid being skewered and plunged her hand back into her pouch. She pulled out a round amethyst stone and slammed it into her battle gauntlet. _

"_Tear the ground asunder like a thunder storm…MY CLEAR AQUARIUS!"_

_A semi-transparent man appeared above Saix. The figure carried a water jug but when it upended the jug razor sharp shards of amethyst came raining out of it instead of water. Saix managed to avoid most of the downpour but a good number of the shards managed to slice into his left arm just the same. He spun and Takiren ducked to avoid him and received a spike in her right shoulder. Saix pulled back, pulling the spike out of Takiren's shoulder with a sickening slurp. She turned to face him, trying her hardest to stay upright._

"_Don't make me kill you, young Gylfie. I still need your power."_

"_If you- want the power- of- the Jewel Witches," Takiren heaved as she struggled for breath. "I won't- make it- easy for you!"_

_Saix leapt at her to deliver another blow. And when he had all of his attention focused on her…another storm of amethyst shards came raining down on him. What was left of his sleeve was torn away by the barrage and his arm was sliced up even more._

_Saix turned his gaze up to the crystalline warrior. He sent his sword spinning upwards, easily destroying Aquarius._

"_Now then," he said, turning his attention back to Takiren. But, before anything else could happen, a huge dark portal opened up in a wall at the far end of the lab. Small black creatures with antennae and yellow eyes began to swarm out of it._

"_Grr," Saix growled in annoyance. He summoned a legion of large gray creatures that Takiren had never seen before and they began to fight back the black creatures._

"_What are you doing?" Takiren tried to shout over the tumult._

"_I am not doing anything," Saix answered stoically. "This world has been connected."_

"_Connected?"_

"_Connected. Tied to the growing darkness. Soon it will be completely swallowed up by the darkness."_

"_What are you talking about?"_

"_Just as Lea's heart was consumed by darkness, so will your world be consumed. A shame to lose Galenna with its rich harvest of Jewel Witches but there is nothing to be done. You should get out of here if you want to see your family before they are all taken."_

_Takiren barely took the time to actually think about what the Nobody was saying. She was flying across the room and out the door. She paid no mind to the warring bands of monsters and ran out of the hospital building. The only thought in her head was that she had to get back to the castle and warn everyone of the danger._

_The scene from the hospital was pretty much being repeated all over the city. Where ever she looked, Takiren saw dark portals opening up and thousands of the tiny dark creatures pouring out of them. She heard people running, screaming, praying, but nothing would hold back the darkness. Takiren summoned a jewel shield to protect herself as she ran but even that lost its effectiveness after awhile. A pit of pure darkness opened up beneath her very feet. Tendrils of darkness snaked up her body, attempting to drag her down into the dark pit below._

_Soon the darkness won out and Takiren was dragged completely under. As she fell through the darkness, questions began racing through her mind._

_**What happened? Did I die? Is this death? What happened to Galenna? If I die…will I see Lea again?**_

_**NO! I won't give up. I refuse to die like this. I'll fight it! We didn't come this far together to fail now! I know Lea's alive. The darkness won't defeat us. I will escape, and I won't let him go! I will save him! No matter what!**_

XxX

Takiren stopped moving at this. She bowed her head and her hands curled into fists as the memory rushed through her. She hadn't died. She'd escaped. Somehow…somehow, her will to have Lea back in her arms had delivered her safely to Hollow Bastion. There was no one left, except for her and Lea. And now Lea's long-cold trail was suddenly warm again. She knew that she had been called to this place because somewhere in the tower there was a link to Lea. There just had to be.

Takiren looked up again and realized that her reverie had carried her all the way up the tower and down a long corridor. She was standing before a set of double doors. And beyond them, Takiren felt that she would find her answers.

Boldly the young woman pushed open the doors. Instantly her eyes picked out an ancient man sitting at a desk. The man was dressed in a deep blue wizard's robe and a pointed hat. His eyes were painfully old. They had seen much, suffered much, but they also held the wisdom of the ages in their stern depths.

"Are you the one who has called me here?" she asked, trying hard not to sound impatient or impudent.

"That is correct, Takiren Gylfie. Jewel Witch and royal lady of the house of Gylfie. I summoned you here," he answered.

"How do you know who I am?" Takiren asked, suddenly feeling stupid for asking at all.

"I know everything about you. For I am the Master of Masters. I am Master Yen Sid."

XxX

(A/N) Just thought I'd mention that the idea of jewel summoning isn't mine. I ripped it off of this other anime that's really cool called Chrono Crusade. But hey, it fits. Parts of the exchange between Seifer and Takiren also aren't mine. Those bits of dialogue come from the Three Musketeers. But either way, lemme know what you think.


	3. Melee

(A/N) Yay! Pirate Illusionist is back! Again, thanks very much for the review. Tera Earth, thank you for that loverly little review. It inspired me so. And yes, we do know our Axel. Duh-duh-duh-dum! Bright-scales of the wintery north, thankies for the review, and yes, Takiren is my OC. Well, enough said on that. Let's be movin' along to…

_**One Kiss before the Sun Sets**_

_Chapter 3: Melee_

"All right, Master Yen Sid. Why did you summon me?" Takiren asked the old wizard as she approached his desk.

"Four the past four years you have been on a quest. A quest to find your intended, Lea, and restore his heart to him. You've been searching for his Nobody and his Heartless."

"Yes," Takiren said slowly. "That's true. If you'll forgive my impertinence, why do you care?"

"I've brought you here to warn you."

"Warn me?"

"Four years ago, when Lea was lost to you, the Nobody called Saix explained to you what a Nobody is. And he told you about the Heartless as well. Am I correct in thinking that you also know of the Keyblade Master and his quest against the Heartless?"

"Yes. Leon and the others told me all about that."

"And might I ask you what you would do if Sora were to destroy Lea's Heartless?"

"I would do everything in my power to stop it from happening. And if I couldn't…I would make him pay," she said quietly.

"You mean, you would kill him?" Sid asked, staring pointedly at her.

"No! I'm not a murderer," she defended. "But I would let him know that not everyone appreciates his warmongering."

"What Sora does is for all of us. The quest is for the good of the worlds. You must understand that before you leave here," Sid reprimanded her.

"You don't intend to keep me here, do you?"

"No. That is something I cannot do, regardless of the danger your personal ends may pose to the Keyblade Master. What I _will_ do is try and help you understand."

"Understand?" Takiren asked harshly. "The first word I heard out of anyone was understand. I don't _want_ to understand. I just want Lea back!"

"I know, Takiren. But there is something that you _must_ understand. The Lea you knew is gone. Saix wasn't lying. If you do find his Nobody, it will not be the same. Nobodies do not have hearts. As such, they cannot feel emotion. No hatred, or pain, or guilt…or love. Lea's Nobody might not even remember who you are."

"Well, that's why I'm trying to find his Heartless."

"And what will you do if you find the Nobody, but not the Heartless?"

Takiren suffered in silence for a long moment before answering. Sid had given voice to her greatest fear. She had considered that possibility and she had thought of another option but she wasn't sure if it was possible. Perhaps Sid would know.

"That's a risk I'm willing to take. But Master Sid?" she began, still trying to be respectful. "If I don't find Lea's heart, is it possible to…to replace it with another heart?"

Sid stared at her long and hard. He stewed over the question for a good while. He understood what she was getting at but he also knew that if he gave her the answer she wanted that she would commit herself to that course one hundred percent. Besides, he wasn't even sure if it _was_ possible.

"I won't lie to you. I am not certain if that's possible. I won't say that it's entirely _im_possible, but in order for it to work certain conditions would have to be met."

"What sort of conditions?"

Sid opened his mouth but he wasn't the one who spoke next.

"Perhaps I can answer that question."

Takiren's mouth automatically went dry. She would recognize that voice anywhere. Its owner still haunted her nightmares. Slowly, fearfully, Takiren turned towards the large open window where she'd heard the voice. There, hovering who knew how far above the ground in a cloud of darkness, was-

"Saix," Takiren breathed.

XxX

_The World That Never Was_

_(Same moment)_

"Hey, Axel! Wait up!"

Axel looked up to see Roxas running towards him down the street. When the boy finally caught up to him, Axel waited for him to catch his breath.

"You're not leaving again are you?" Roxas asked as they continued to stroll down the street. "You just got back."

"I had some delivery business to take care of. I'm heading back to Castle Oblivion. Something big is going down over there."

"Like what?"

"Can't tell you," Axel said mysteriously.

"Shit, you guys never let me in on anything!" Roxas complained.

"One, you're still new around here, and two, clean up your language. I might just have to wash your mouth out with soap," Axel jibed.

"Yeah, sure you will. But why can't you tell me anything?"

"Because it's a secret," Axel taunted.

"No, duh!" Roxas said angrily. "You know what I mean!"

"Yeah, I know what you mean. All I can say is that Saix has some big project about to happen there and The Superior thinks Marluxia might have his own plans. If anything happens, I'm supposed to take care of it."

"What? But…what about Larxene and the others?"

"I don't know. I'll just have to find out when I get there," Axel said as he opened a dark gateway.

"I'll let you know how it goes, kiddo," he called over his shoulder before disappearing into the vortex.

Roxas stared after his friend long after the door had vanished. Somehow he got the feeling that there was more to the goings on at Castle Oblivion than met the eye…and Axel was about to be thrust right into the thick of it.

XxX

_Hollow Bastion_

_(Same moment)_

When Azmaria Gylfie finally came to her senses, she found herself gazing up at a starry sky. She was propped up against the wall in a sitting position. For some unknown reason, she was freezing cold. The next thing she noticed was the giant blue fluff ball standing in front of her.

"Oooooh," the fluff ball said.

"Ach!" Azmaria shouted, jumping back in surprise and smacking her head against the wall as a result.

Upon closer inspection, Azmaria could see that the fur ball looked something like a dog. Except for the fact that it was blue and stood on its hind legs.

"Hi," the fluff ball said, waving its paw.

"Um…hi," Azmaria returned weakly. Dogs definitely didn't talk on Galenna, but hey, this thing was probably something entirely different.

"Cama'ahar teh terraces?" it asked.

Azmaria stared at the creature for a moment. She knew she'd never heard that language before but somehow she knew what he was saying.

"Azmaria," she answered. "And you?"

"My name Stitch," he answered proudly.

With that, Stitch formerly known as fluff ball began to sniff her hair and face.

"H-hey! Stop!" she tried to shout through her laughter. "That tickles!"

Azmaria finally managed to climb to her feet and held Stitch at arms' length.

"You really are a cute little thing."

"And fluffy!" Stitch added happily.

"Hey, wait a second," Azmaria said, suddenly noticing her surroundings. The last thing she remembered was falling asleep in her bedroom at home. Lea had been there last night. He'd promised to sit with her until she fell asleep. He'd also promised that when she woke up, Takiren would finally be home. For some reason, Lea had seemed really sad. Though she couldn't figure out why, if Takiren was really going to get better.

But this place definitely wasn't her home…wasn't even her town. Slowly Azmaria turned her attention back to Stitch.

"This isn't Galenna, is it?" she asked, though it was more of a statement than a question. Stitch just shook his head

"Naga. Hollow Bastion," he said slowly.

"Hollow Bastion?" Azmaria repeated as she looked around.

"Achi-baba?" Stitch asked hopefully.

"Definitely," Azmaria answered without hesitation. Gods knew she could use a friend right about now. She had to figure out just what was going on.

"Goobaja!" Stitch said excitedly as he jumped out of her arms and started to scamper away down the road.

"You read my mind. Let's go," Azmaria said, quickly following after him.

They walked the city streets for awhile without seeing anyone. But Stitch finally led Azmaria to a humble, cottage-looking house. It was the only house around with lit windows so she went and knocked on the door. After several minutes the door was opened by a tall, rough-looking man with brown hair. The man, Leon, scrutinized the girl for a few seconds without saying anything. There was something oddly familiar about her emerald green eyes.

"Look, kid, I don't know how you found this place, but the streets really aren't safe so-"

"Oh, please sir!" Azmaria interrupted him. "I'm sorry, but the light was on and I thought that maybe…well…My name is Azmaria Gylfie and I was wondering if-"

"Hold on a second!" Leon cut her off, shocked. "Did you say Gylfie?"

"Yes."

"You don't know a Takiren Gylfie, do you?"

"Yes!" Azmaria shouted. "Takiren's my big sister!"

"I'll be damned. Yuffie! Merlin!" Leon shouted over his shoulder as he drew Azmaria inside. Stitch slipped in as he was closing the door. "Look what just turned up on the doorstep."

Yuffie looked her over much the same way Leon had, no more successful at placing her green eyes than he had been. But Merlin looked at her…and knew her instantly.

"Well I'll be," the old wizard started happily. "It is Lady Azmaria of the house of Gylfie. It is a great gift to see you alive and whole, dear child."

"H-how do you know my name?" Azmaria stammered, staring nervously at Merlin.

"Takiren's sister," Yuffie said, shaking her head in wonder. "Looks like we've all got a lot of explaining to do."

XxX

_Twilight Town_

_Yen Sid's Tower_

"Why don't you come out here and talk to me, Takiren?" Saix asked, sounding perfectly reasonable.

"Don't listen to him, Takiren," Yen Sid ordered her sharply. "As long as you stay in the tower he cannot harm you."

"I don't fear him," Takiren hissed. Boldly she stepped away from Yen Sid and out onto the balcony with Saix waiting just out of her reach. Yen Sid could only watch. If Saix tried anything now, he would be powerless to stop it.

"It has been four years, Lady Takiren Gylfie," he greeted, using her proper title like it was some foul curse. "You've grown into such a lovely young woman."

Takiren chose to ignore the jibe. The truth was that she probably looked like hell. She was thinner than she should be from years of pushing her body beyond its limits without food or water. Her clothes were wrinkled and dirty without fail because it only occurred to her to wash maybe once a month at best. There was a permanent set of circles under her eyes and her skin was very pale from all the travel through the corridors. So Takiren ignored the comment and reached into her jewel pouch. Quick as lightening, Sentinel Breeze was in her hands and the point was right in Saix's face.

"Tell me where Lea is!" she demanded.

"If I do not answer, will you kill me? But who else knows where your sweet Lea might be?"

"You _will_ tell me where he is."

"Or you'll what?" Saix asked, the ghost of a sneer flitting across his face. "Four years you've searched for Lea and Organization XIII without any clues. It must have been painful."

"It's your fault!" Takiren accused, suddenly losing her cool. "You're the one that threw everything into chaos!"

"Oh, Takiren, you are so mistaken," Saix began condescendingly. "The truth…is that this is _your_ fault."

"I…I don't believe you!" Takiren stammered, drawing back just a little.

"And yet you step back from me. You are obviously willing to listen. Do you know why Lea was chosen?"

"You told me it was because of the strength of his heart," Takiren said indignantly.

"That was part of it. That was why I knew his conscience would survive. But I sought him out because of you."

"Wha-what are you talking about?" Takiren asked, feeling her insides start to go cold.

"Galenna was a very interesting discovery for Organization XIII. In the Gylfie family we had at last found a weapon apart from the Keyblade that could unlock hearts and release captive ones. After closer study, your family proved that their power was a necessity for our goals. As you were next in line to inherit the Gylfie crown, you were the natural choice to place our control over. But by the time that plan was in place you had fallen deathly ill, and you would have been no good to us dead," Saix recounted dispassionately. "But I saw the pain that Lea endured during your illness. I saw how his grief drove him to expend every waking moment searching for a way to cure you. And in that quest I saw the strength in him. I saw what a useful tool he would be. It was a shame to see such potential go to waste over love. So I offered him an alternative."

"What happened?" Takiren knew deep in her heart that she didn't want the answer, but at the same time she couldn't turn away.

"I offered to cure you…in exchange for his heart."

Takiren struggled to suppress a cry at this.

"It was pathetic, really. To see him cry and profess how much he cared for you. That was his downfall. Lea would have given me anything to save your life. So I used the Organization's resources to heal you and took his heart as payment. It hurts, doesn't it Takiren? To know that Lea sacrificed everything because of you."

"Takiren, you mustn't listen!" Yen Sid warned her.

But Takiren couldn't help but listen, couldn't turn away from him. Anguished tears leaked out of her eyes against her will. She felt like she was going to be sick. The last four years, all the suffering Lea must have endured…was all because of her? Saix had stabbed her to the heart in a more painful way than any weapon ever could.

Saix came towards her, stepping right onto the balcony and backing her up against the wall.

"Now," he whispered in her ear. "Do you want to see your beloved Lea, or don't you?"

"Of course I want to see Lea. I want to see him. I want to care for him. I want to hold him in my arms. And if he's suffering, then I'd gladly take his place!" she cried, finally allowing tears to flow freely down her face.

"Just what I expected."

"Saix!" Yen Sid commanded, finally making his presence felt in the conversation by summoning a ball of energy. "Release her!"

"Don't kill him!" Takiren shouted, tearing herself away from Saix and racing to stand before Yen Sid. Now that Saix had come in closer, Sid could get in an attack.

"If he dies…I'll never be able to find Lea!"

"There's no way a Nobody is going to help you," he warned her.

"Please! Please, Master Sid," Takiren begged. She bowed her head low and raised her hands in a desperate plea.

"Master Yen Sid, you misunderstand me. I have come to help her. I've come to take her to Lea."

Takiren slowly looked up at this.

"What?"

Saix quickly opened up a portal to the darkness. Then he extended an inviting hand towards her.

"If you ever want to see Lea again then come with me now."

But the moment Takiren took a step towards him Yen Sid stepped in.

"Don't go, Takiren! He'll just take your heart from you."

"I don't care!" Takiren said with more conviction than she felt. "I must find Lea. _I must!_ I can't let the last four years be for nothing! This could be the only chance I ever get. I'm taking it!"

With that, Takiren stepped forward and took Saix's waiting hand. Then he led her into the dark portal.

XxX

_Castle Oblivion_

_(Same moment)_

"Any word yet?" Lexaeus asked Zexion the second the larger Nobody stepped into the room.

"Yes," Zexion answered quietly. "The Keyblade Master has sealed Kingdom Hearts. The Superior couldn't break through. Sora will be dealt with shortly."

Lexaeus was about to say something when he noticed that Zexion was behaving strangely. The younger Nobody had tilted his head back and his eyes were closed in intense concentration. But then his eyes opened wide and a feral sneer spread across his face.

"She's here. The princess has come to Castle Oblivion."

"Are you certain?"

"I can smell her. Saix has brought the Gylfie princess to us at last."

"In that case," Lexaeus began with a smirk of his own. "Let the games begin."

XxX

The next thing Takiren knew she was standing alone in a stark white hallway.

"Saix!" Takiren shouted, her gaze darting wildly around the entry hall like an animal in a cage.

Immediately sensing foul play, Takiren searched for a way out of the hall. The first end was a dead end and there were no other doors save for one at the opposite end of the hall.

Takiren made for the door, but just as she was about to climb the small set of stairs and open it, a black-robed Organization member appeared before her.

"Saix?"

"Not Saix, Lady," the figure began as it pulled down its hood to reveal a hardened face and long, ash-blond hair. "But Vexen."

"What is this place?" Takiren demanded

"All in good time, jewel witch. For now I will explain to you how to make your way through 'this place'."

"What! Why have you brought me here? Where's Lea?"

"Ah, Lea," Vexen began in a mocking tone. "Lea is no more. To answer the second question, you are here so that we might measure the scope of your talents on the field of battle. Some of the others think you have proven your worth to us enough over the past four years, but I believe you have reserves of untapped potential. You will navigate the castle using these," he said, tossing her a packet of cards of some kind.

"Each card carries the memory of a place you have visited in your life. In order to find what you seek you must face what lies in your past. The question is…can even you, princess, defeat the demons of your past?"

Without another word, Vexen vanished into thin air.

"Wait! Takiren shouted. When she didn't get a response she gave a loud groan of frustration and looked up at the large white door before her. Then she looked down at the cards in her hand, six in number. The first was blank, probably best to save it for later. The second was the Forest of Renewal. The third was Eternal Spring. The fourth was Darkest Jungle. The fifth was Agrabah. The last card was Basement.

"Basement? What the hell does that mean?"

At length, Takiren chose the Forest of Renewal and held it up to the door. The door glowed briefly and opened for her.

XxX

(A/N) And it's into Castle Oblivion we go. I thought I should mention that Takiren's experience in Castle Oblivion is going to be vastly different from either Sora's or Riku's. Also, this may well be the last update for awhile. I'm off to camp for a councilor-in-training program and I'll be gone for a month. I'll try and get one more chapter up before I leave tomorrow but I'm not making any promises.


	4. They Said You Can't Buy Love

(A/N) Yay! It's me! I'm finally back from camp and rearin to go. But, first and foremost I gotta say, it was definitely one of the best experiences of my life. Oh, btw Bright Scales, of course I can leave you hangin. As a matter of fact, I often leave my readers hangin. I find that it keeps people interested. Cliffhanger chapters are my trademark. Well, that's enough talk from me. R&R and without further delay, here's…

_**One Kiss Before the Sun Sets**_

_Chapter 4: They Said You Can't Buy Love_

"So who is she?" Axel asked Saix, trying to sound noncommittal as he stared at the new arrival in the looking glass.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Larxene teased as she circled him.

"That…is really none of your affair, Number VIII. I allowed you to be a part of this experiment at Marluxia's behest. You are to have no contact with the subject whatsoever."

"Why does it matter so much?" he asked, finally tearing himself away from the looking glass.

"You are pushing your luck, Axel. Disobey this order and you will be punished. You are never to see her. But now I must go," Saix added as he opened a dark gateway. "Inform me the moment she activates the Basement card."

Once Saix was gone, Axel went back to the looking glass and continued to stare at the young woman. She had a knap sack slung over her shoulder and a pouch around her waist. She was clad in a pair of tattered black slacks and a lavender top and she was currently walking through a forest. Quite a ragged guest, but at the same time…there was something about her. Perhaps it was how her green eyes were fixed determinedly ahead, or the way her violet braids hung down her shoulders…just something, something that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

"If you really wanna know," Larxene purred. "Her name's Takiren."

"Takiren," Axel whispered to himself. Briefly he remembered what Roxas had told him about his nightmare episode. "Am I the only one who didn't know that?"

"Aside from Roxas…yes," Marluxia answered with a cruel sneer. "Though I don't see why one girl is so important to them. Once Sora finds his way here my attention will be on him. I don't care about Saix's little project."

"Then tell me who she is."

"She's a jewel summoner."

That one threw Axel for a loop.

"Then…that must mean-"

"She's from your world? Yes, that's true."

"Then why haven't I ever seen her before?"

Another sneer flitted across Marluxia's face at this.

"If you really want to see her then be my guest. I'm not going to stop you," he said mysteriously before disappearing.

"And Axel, try not to get too attached to her. She's Saix's toy now," Larxene added before disappearing as well.

"What about you, Namine?" Axel asked the small, pale girl sitting in the corner who had been silent up until this point. "What were Saix's orders?"

"Only that I'm not to interfere with her. Saix wants her memory intact. He said that he only wanted to test her."

Axel turned away from Namine with a thoughtful expression on his face. Suddenly he was beginning to understand how Roxas must feel a lot of the time. Secrets were being kept from him and he didn't like it. Time for a bit of professional snooping. He would see that girl no matter what it took. But not just yet. First he would need some information.

XxX

_Hollow Bastion_

_(Same moment)_

"So lets recap here. The last thing you remember is Lea promising you that Takiren was coming home and being in your room when you went to sleep?" Yuffie clarified.

"That's right," Azmaria replied, taking a sip of the hot drink Merlin had given her. Stitch was sitting in her lap.

"And…what's that blue thing?" Leon asked.

"Feeboogoo!" Stitch challenged, snarling angrily at Leon.

"This is Stitch," Azmaria introduced, keeping an arm around the wily fluff ball. "He was with me when I woke up here."

"Well Azmaria," Merlin began nervously. "I'd hate to have to tell you this, but you've been asleep for the past four years."

Azmaria stared at Merlin blankly. For a moment it did not sink in. But then-

"What do you mean?" Azmaria asked fearfully.

"Galenna was taken by the Heartless," Merlin said sadly.

"What?"

"The Heartless. Those without hearts," Leon said, spouting the now familiar definition. "They are mindless creatures of darkness. Their only goal is to collect hearts. Galenna was connected to that darkness…and destroyed."

"No," Azmaria whispered. Tears started to gather in her eyes. It couldn't be true. It just couldn't!

_My home._

"That was four years ago. Until now we thought Takiren, and maybe Lea, were the only survivors," Yuffie said.

"But what about my family?"

""Well, an hour ago I would have said that they had all become Heartless. But now you show up unharmed four years after the tragedy…I don't know what to think anymore. Especially since Sora has sealed Kingdom Hearts. I should think that Galenna would have been restored, but if you ended up here I don't see how that can be the case," Merlin speculated.

"Kingdom Hearts? What's that supposed to mean?"

With that the three launched into the story of the Keyblade Master and the heart of all worlds. Azmaria listened with rapt attention.

"But," she started once they had explained everything. "If Sora succeeded, then why didn't Galenna come back?"

"We don't know," Leon admitted.

"And…where's my sister?"

"Again, we don't know," Yuffie replied. "She was here two days ago but she rushed off again to look for Lea. If you stick around, she'll be back someday."

"All right. It's not like I have a choice here. But only if Stitch will stick around too."

"Ih," Stitch said, nodding happily.

"Well, that settles it," Yuffie said with a smile. "Azmaria, Stitch…welcome to Hollow Bastion."

XxX

_Castle Oblivion_

_1st Floor: The Forest of Renewal_

Takiren slowly made her way through the forest. When she had first come to the Forest of Renewal she had used one of her metamorphosis jewels to take the shape of a dove. For a time she had thought that there were no humans in that world. By the time she had seen how wrong she was, it had been too late. But now Takiren saw no need to change form. It was winter in the forest and she had seen only a few animals, some that she had met during her month-long stay in the forest, but none of them seemed to even see her. She figured that this was because this place was only a memory, a shadow of what had been.

Suddenly, Takiren noticed a mother deer leading a small fawn out of a thicket. A small white dove was perched on the fawn's back. Takiren easily recognized herself. So she truly was just reliving a memory. The mother deer was Lorelei. The baby deer was Bambi. Takiren followed behind them, remembering the deer family with a fond but heavy heart. She knew what day she was reliving.

Lorelei had been kind to her, thinking her to be a lost dove who hadn't been able to fly south for the winter. She had made friends with little Bambi, Thumper, and Flower. She had just escaped captivity in Hollow Bastion and she had barely survived the journey there. She was weak and disillusioned. So, for a month she had left Takiren behind and become Snowflake the dove. By the end of that month her human mind had been almost completely gone.

"Bambi, look. New spring grass," Lorelei said, nudging her son towards the patch she'd spotted.

Takiren looked up from her reminiscing when Lorelei spoke. Her heart filling with dread, Takiren walked towards the mother and son. She tried to place a hand on Lorelei's head but her hand passed right through. She wanted to hug Lorelei, to warn her, anything to prevent what was about to happen. She looked up towards the tree line of the forest, and her eyes saw what her dove senses had not picked up before; a gun, the faint outline of a hunter in the trees.

Suddenly Lorelei's head snapped up. Her ears heard the strange noises, her nose sniffed the unfamiliar scent in the air, and finally, her eyes spotted the human.

"Bambi! Snowflake! The thicket!" she shouted. Bambi took off running and dove Takiren shot into the air. Lorelei was in full dash behind them. Human Takiren took off after them. She could see the hunter chasing after his quarry. Up ahead she could hear Lorelei shouting.

"Faster! Faster Bambi! Don't look back! Keep running! Keep running!"

Takiren saw the hunter run up a hill and just when he disappeared from her sight she heard two gunshots, one right after the other. When Takiren crested the hill, the sight she beheld struck a deep chord in her heart.

Lorelei was already dead, lying in a growing puddle of blood. The hunter was already kneeling over her body. Bambi lay not too far away, badly injured. A small dove was nestled beside him. And as Takiren watched the scene unfold through different eyes, she remembered all the rampant emotions of the moment. There had been disbelief, sadness, pain, and above all else, rage. Blinding red rage. What sort of demon would shoot a baby? It was the rage that awoke the human sleeping within her. She felt power in her once again. She could still hear the long forgotten voice calling to her.

_Takiren, you have weapons! Use them!_

Takiren watched the dove heave, and choke up a tiny quartz crystal. The transformation process was painful. You actually had to swallow the jewel in order to absorb its power and change shape. When you wanted to change back you had to choke up the jewel. And now the dove was changing back into a girl. To be blunt, the transformation was not pretty.

"Get away from her!" Takiren screeched through half-formed lips. One look at the mutating ball of flesh and feathers sent the hunter screaming back to camp as fast as his legs would carry him.

Takiren-formerly-Snowflake turned from Lorelei with tears in her eyes. There was nothing she could do for her. But Bambi was still alive. The little fawn looked up at Takiren. Fear registered in his pain-filled eyes. Takiren-that-was knelt down beside him and dug her fingers into his fur. The flow of life was barely there. There was only one way that she knew of to preserve his life.

Using her fingers, Takiren-that-was poured energy into Bambi's body. She circulated her power through his heart and melded it with his life force. In her mind's eye she pictured a glowing yellow gemstone. Before long she was holding just such a gem in her hands. Bambi was gone. In essence the gem _was_ Bambi. If he could sleep within the jewel long enough then he would heal and be able to live in the world again.

Suddenly the memory world began to fade into darkness. Takiren-that-was looked around fearfully, clutched the jewel to her heart, and bolted into the forest. Takiren-that-is just stood passively by and watched. She knew what was happening. The Forest of Renewal had been connected. And unlike Leon's precious Keybearer, there was nothing she could do to stop it.

When the darkness was absolute a white door appeared out of it. Takiren quickly opened it and walked through, not wishing to remain in the dark another minute, knowing that she could not change what happened.

Takiren found herself in another white hallway, much like the first one. When the way behind her was finally sealed, a great longing gripped her heart. A longing to see a familiar face. So she leaned against the wall and sat down. Then she reached into her jewel armory and pulled out a gem. A radiant blue sapphire that pulsed with life. She clutched the stone tightly in her fist and jolted it with some of her own energy and, before long, a young rabbit was sitting in her lap.

"Hey Thumper," she whispered in greeting. "It's been awhile."

"Hey Takiren!" Thumper said excitedly. "Watcha doin'?"

"Nothing," she said sadly. "I just wanted to see you."

"Oh, ok. Did you find Bambi yet?"

"No. I'm sorry."

Thumper sniffled a little at this, but didn't say anything. Instead he looked around the white hall. He took a few tentative sniffs of the air. Though he couldn't exactly place the scent, there was just something about it that he didn't like.

"Where are we?" he asked Takiren.

"I don't know. I need to find my way through it. Do you want to walk with me for a while? At least until your jewel runs out?"

"Yeah!" Thumper shouted excitedly as he bounded out of Takiren's lap and hopped in circles around the hall.

As Takiren climbed to her feet to follow Thumper, she thought about what he'd asked her. Had she found Bambi? No. She had visited many worlds and she still had no idea what had become of him. When the Forest of Renewal was destroyed, Bambi and Thumper had been the only ones she was able to save by preserving their hearts as jewels. But, during her escape from the crumbling world, the jewel containing Bambi had been ripped away from her and she had no idea what could have happened to it.

"Hey, Takiren! Come on!" Thumper shouted. He had already reached the other door.

Takiren smiled briefly at the rabbit's antics. Even if it was only for a short time, at least she had a companion to ease the loneliness.

She pulled out the five remaining cards and looked them over. The first thing she noticed was that an image was beginning to form on the blank card. It was barely there but there was definitely something starting to show through.

After puzzling over this new development for several minutes, Takiren finally chose the Darkest Jungle card. Gods knew she could use a few laughs from Baloo about now.

Then, card in hand, she walked the last few steps towards Thumper and the next door.

XxX

_Lower Levels_

_(A few hours later)_

Lexaeus and Zexion were deep in conversation when Axel entered the room, but they looked up the second they noticed his presence.

"So what's new in the rat-infested underground?" he joked snidely.

"Something…unexpected has come up," Zexion said slowly.

"Like…?"

"The jewel witch is just starting the third floor. And Sora has arrived and is making his way through the first floor, but…someone else is here too."

"Who?"

"At first the scent was exactly like the Superior's, but I didn't see how that could be right. I looked further into the matter and it's not the Superior at all. It is Riku."

"But how could he get here?" Axel wondered out loud.

"We don't know. Lexaeus and I have been trying to figure it out. While his presence does account for the Superior's scent, we're certain that Riku is not part of his plans. We suspect he was drawn here."

"By what? Sora?"

"That's what we thought at first, but now I believe that he is only part of it. I think it's the jewel witch. Saix tracked her progress briefly when her path crossed his. He wanted to discover what point and purpose Riku's activities might serve for the Heartless and Takiren suddenly appeared to the boy. Saix said that he could never pinpoint what it was, but he claims that they forged some kind of connection. Lexaeus and I are starting to think that it was that connection, whatever it might be, that was somehow able to call Riku here from Kingdom Hearts. Vexen is looking into it now."

"So what became of King Mickey?"

"We don't know that either," Lexaeus stepped in. "Though it would be helpful to know his location."

"And what about this jewel witch you're all in such a bind over? Takiren? Who is she?"

Zexion regarded him coolly for a moment before answering.

"She's none of your concern, Axel. There's a reason why you can't see her."

"And what is that reason? There's no call to be keeping it from me," Axel said indignantly.

"You'd like to think so, wouldn't you? But the fact is, she's too important to our plans. You can't see her. Or perhaps you'd rather I reported you to the Superior for treason? Is that it?" Zexion suggested with a sneer.

"Well then, it seems we've reached an impasse," Axel countered. "I could just as easily report you for allowing Riku to slip into the castle undetected."

"You wouldn't!" Zexion hissed.

"Axel, do you have any idea what we're dealing with here?" Lexaeus calmly broke into the argument. "You know Takiren is a jewel witch. You are, doubtless, aware of the capabilities of those jewels. This girl is no pretender. She is a Gylfie. A princess."

"A Gylfie?" Axel whispered, trying hard to conceal his surprise. "No. That's not possible. I would recognize her."

"Would you? Would you, really? There are things about the jewels that you don't understand. You must let it be. Leave Riku to Zexion and I. We need not concern the Superior with these matters."

Axel sized Lexaeus up, trying to discern what exactly he was saying. Things he didn't understand? Games were afoot in the Organization and Lexaeus was no fool. He would give him just enough information to keep him interested and still manage to drive him off. But for now, Axel chose to stand down. He opened a portal and left the room. Things he didn't understand? Well then, he'd just have to ask Takiren herself about them.

But first, a visit to the newly arrived snot-nosed Keybearer.

"Zexion," Lexaeus began once Axel was gone. "You don't suppose Axel could be with Marluxia, do you?"

"Who could say with that hothead? We'll just have to keep an eye on him. However, if Marluxia's planning what we think he's planning then it just might be fortunate that Riku turned up here."

"What do you mean?" Lexaeus questioned.

"Lexaeus, I have an idea."

XxX

(A/N) Ok, I probably screwed up the time frame here big time, but hey, it's an entirely new game that we play here. Oh, and I obviously took some liberties in the Bambi universe. You know you still love me. R&R. Luv ya lots.


	5. Don't Let Go Or You May Drown

(A/N) Obviously I apologize profusely for taking so long with this, but hey, cut me some slack. I just survived my last marching band season. (sniffle) But now, I'm going to finish my stories even if it kills me. And hey, at least it hasn't taken me a year like it has with some of my other stories. Sorrowful Love, I doubt this latest chapter will slake your desire to have the two meet but don't worry. It's coming soon. So in order to get to that point faster here's…

_**One Kiss Before The Sun Sets**_

_Chapter 5: Don't Let Go…Or You May Drown_

_Hollow Bastion_

The lights were out in the room and the curtains were drawn. Azmaria Gylfie was in the center of the room, kneeling protectively over the only source of light. The weak, flickering light was coming from a set of five jewels that was laid out before her. A ruby, a sapphire, an emerald, a tiger-eye, and a wildfire stone. The first four were glowing steadily but the wildfire stone only sparked to life every few minutes. Try as she might, Azmaria could not get the stone to shine.

"Please," Azmaria whispered. ""I can't just sit here and do nothing."

"Azmaria?" Suddenly the darkness was shattered by the door opening and Azmaria's concentration was broken. The four element jewels that had been glowing so brightly for that last instant dimmed and the wildfire stone died altogether. Aerith walked through the door, followed by Stitch and Leon.

"What are you doing?" Aerith asked.

"Trying to catch up on four years of training," Azmaria said bitterly.

"But…I never saw Takiren do this."

"She wouldn't have needed to," Azmaria explained. "Jewel witches don't get their powers handed to them on a silver platter. You do have to be born with the ability but it takes a lot of training to awaken it. Takiren's powers were already awake when you met her. Look." As Azmaria spoke she pulled out a pouch similar to Takiren's. As a jewel apprentice, she had been taught to always keep her jewels on hand. She had taken to sleeping with the pouch so it had been on her when she was frozen.

She spread her personal armory out for the three to see. As a noble, she had been armed with her own jewels but it was her job to awaken them.

"I have just about as many jewels as my sister. You've seen her armory before. All of her stones glow. Only four of mine are active. Notice that the others are no more than cold, hardened stones with no life. In order to be named a jewel witch I have to wake them all up."

"Well if these jewels are already active why are you still working with them?" Leon asked.

"I have to master summoning at its most basic level before I can move on to weapons and creatures. Bending the four elements to your will is the most basic of the jewel summoning arts. The first jewels of power were crafted to work in tandem with nature. My family's been improving the art for generations."

"It's good that you know yourself well enough that you can say that you haven't mastered the elements yet. Especially without a teacher. That's a start," Aerith said.

"It's not that I don't have it down yet. The jewels might be dim but the light won't go out anymore. It's just that I'm not physically able to handle harder jewels yet. Most of jewel summoning is mental but some of it is physical. If I was thirteen it wouldn't be a problem but…I'm not, and it is," Azmaria said sadly, bowing her head in shame.

"Az?" Stitch started, using her nickname. "Kanja ooga?"

_What's wrong?_ Azmaria scoffed to herself. What _wasn't _wrong about this situation?

"I talked to Yuffie about the calendar so I could figure out a few things and…I found out that my birthday's in two days."

"What's wrong with that?" Aerith asked, clearly puzzled.

"I should be turning sixteen, not twelve!" Azmaria said angrily.

Neither Leon nor Aerith knew how to respond to this. What do you say to a girl who's missed four years of her life?

"I won't be any help to anyone if I can't master my jewels. I'm worthless without that power!"

"You're not worthless," Aerith insisted, taking her shoulders and looking her square in the eyes. "You're just young."

Azmaria turned away from Aerith with tears starting down her face. "It's all wrong," she cried.

"Then why are you taking this sitting down?" Leon asked coldly.

"W-what do you mean?" Azmaria sniffled.

"You want to grow up? You say you're sixteen…then act it. Stop whining and work harder."

Azmaria sat staring at Leon for a long moment. _Whining?_

"Leon!" Aerith scolded, jumping to her feet. "How can you say that? She's doing her best."

But Leon wasn't looking at Aerith. He was looking past her, at Azmaria. He could see that the girl needed someone to be direct right now and this was the only way he knew how to do it.

"If you want the kind of power that your sister has, then you've got to fight for it. Saying that it shouldn't be this way won't change anything. You've got to make it happen." Without another word, Leon turned on his heels and left. Aerith stared after him for a moment before following, intending to give him a good piece of her mind. Stitch sat with Azmaria for awhile longer and Azmaria just stared at the door, thinking about what Leon had said.

"Make it happen?" she whispered to herself. An idea was starting to take shape in her mind. There _was_ something more she could do!

XxX

_Castle Oblivion_

_4th Floor: Eternal Spring_

Takiren shivered. She was standing in the middle of ruin.

Where there had once been a lush green, green forest, there were now only scarred stumps and ashy remnants.

Just after she'd entered darkest Jungle, Thumper's jewel ran out and she'd lost her companion. She'd faced her memories of Darkest Jungle and Agrabah. She was starting to question the fact that she hadn't seen anyone since the first floor, but she forged ahead into Eternal Spring regardless. When she had visited the forest in reality, she had made an important friend and ally of the forest sprite who lived there. Upon her departure the sprite had gifted her with a very powerful healing jewel. But that was only after they had survived the hell that she was now reliving.

Takiren-that-was was crouched in the barren wasteland. Clutched protectively against her body was a small wisp of light that barely had any form. Her own body was badly damaged and it was nowhere near enough to shield the sprite from the ashy winds. A large bull elk was standing before her, his great, antlered head bent down towards the sprite. Every curve of Takiren's body radiated pain. She slowly unfurled her arms and raised the sprite up towards the elk. The pale shade grabbed hold of his antlers and nestled herself atop his head. Then the gentle animal lowered himself to his knees and waited for the injured jewel witch to climb onto his back. He waited patiently and when she had managed to drape herself over his back, he began to gallop across the wasteland. All was not lost.

A chill went down Takiren's spine as she remembered the pain she had suffered here. Her arrival had awoken a great evil sleeping deep in the heart of the world: a firebird with terrible dark power. This firebird wasn't just darkness either. At least in darkness there was still existence. This firebird was death. It was a life stealer and it consumed everything in its path. It had even tried to kill the sprite. But Takiren had shielded her from it. It was her nature, the nature of any jewel witch, to protect life, to shield light from darkness. And she had paid the price for standing between the two forces. The firebird had nearly destroyed her, but somehow she and the sprite had preserved each other. Only now a part of her heart was marred by darkness and destruction. In standing between those two colossal forces, Takiren had absorbed a portion of the firebird's power. The pain had been unbearable. It was this entrance of fire and destruction into her heart that had almost killed her.

In order to control the darkness that ravaged her entire being, Takiren had patterned the evil into the form of a jewel. Such dark power could not truly be controlled but she could keep it from destroying her outright. So she held the destruction at bay with the firestone. She was literally half light…and half darkness. It was for this reason that she could still travel through the darkness between the worlds.

Takiren felt the ache in her heart ease a little as she watched the elk gallop across the barren land. The sprite's tears fell to the ground and green grass sprang up from the dust. She realized this and alighted from the elk's head. Form and color were beginning to return to her. Life blossomed anew from the ruin and Takiren-that-was slowly healed. Before long it was as if the firebird's destructive power had never been. Takiren-that-is smiled briefly before turning and walking on. For once her departure from a memory was not all pain. Though she still bore the scars on her heart from the darkness she'd encountered in this world, she also felt renewed by the living force that she'd known.

As Takiren walked, the memory began to fade around her until the only thing that remained was the small path on which she walked. She was watching the path ahead of her for any sign of a door so she didn't notice when a black-cloaked figure appeared out of the shadows behind her.

Axel pulled his hood back in order to get a better look at the young woman. Now that he was actually near her that compelling notion that he couldn't explain was getting stronger. He thought that there was something about her that he ought to know. It was there, lingering just at the back of his mind, on the tip of his tongue. But every time he tried to grasp it, the thought slipped away from him. What _was_ this strange power of hers?

But just as he was about to step forward and ask her, Axel felt vice-like fingers grip his shoulders and pull him back.

"What do you think you are doing?" A cold voice whispered in his ear. The owner of the fingers spun him around and Axel found himself face to face with Saix. His usually stoic face held traces of anger and the very air around him seemed charged with power. If Axel didn't know better he would say that Saix was on the verge of berserk.

Axel turned away from his compatriot to get another look at the woman, but she had already vanished into the darkness. Saix promptly forced his head back around.

"I am waiting for an answer, Number VIII."

"What's the big deal? She's just one girl," Axel pointed out with a nervous laugh.

"That is not the point and well you know it. The point is that I expressly forbade you to even allow her to see you. It is good that I arrived when I did. Surely this girl isn't worth fading over. Or do you have a death wish?" Saix didn't wait for his answer. Instead he opened up a dark portal and dragged him through. When they emerged they were back on the thirteenth floor.

"Let this be a warning to you, Axel. If you attempt to see her again then I will see that you receive the maximum punishment."

"Since when did talking to a girl become treason in the Organization?" Axel asked indignantly.

"No. Questioning your superiors is treason."

"Saix," Axel interrupted, all jest gone. "All the others keep saying that she's from the House of Gylfie. That _can't_ be right. My other grew up serving that household and I don't remember her. What am I not being told here?"

Saix just shook his head and narrowed his eyes. "Only you would dare to question me, Number VIII. It is not given to you to do so. If you wish to stay alive then you will forget that this ever happened and leave the girl well enough alone. You may be powerful, Flurry of Dancing Flames, but you are not indispensable." As he spoke, Saix drew closer to Axel. A semblance of anger flared in his eyes again. If he hadn't stopped Axel-

Suddenly the two heard someone clapping. They both looked up and saw Marluxia leaning against the far wall. He was clapping slowly and wearing a particularly smug look on his face.

"Stirring performance, Saix. So stirring, in fact, that I almost felt the need to throw up. If I'd known you cared about Takiren so much I would have slept with her ages ago."

Saix just smirked at this. "I am not capable of _caring_ about Takiren. And you, if sleeping with the subject is all you are thinking about then I am forced to question your suitability to oversee the projects going on in this castle. If you cannot follow a simple order like 'Keep Axel in line', then-"

"You forget, Saix," Marluxia interrupted, his mocking sneer quickly turning into a cold glare. "that Castle Oblivion is now my domain. Here, you do not order me around. The Superior's orders for me were to oversee this castle, not baby sit Axel. If he's such a problem for you then you can kill him. I am _not_ going to watch Axel's every waking move."

"And you, _Number XI_, forget that Number VIII and I are your superiors. I will not go against The Superior, but if I were you I would watch what I said. However, your approach to Axel's disobedience is practical. Perhaps the power we would gain from exploiting Takiren is worth his end," Saix said, turning his gaze back to Axel. Axel's eyes widened briefly at this statement.

"Uh…no killing, please."

Saix opened his mouth to speak but he suddenly turned as if someone had tugged on his sleeve. His eyes found the looking glass and a feral sneer worked its way across his face.

"She has activated the Basement card. Marluxia, Axel, I will return later. For now I have a heart to destroy." Then he opened a dark portal and stepped through. Once he was gone, Larxene appeared out of nowhere.

"Ooh, somebody just got told," she said snidely. Axel just rolled his eyes.

"What's his deal anyway? She's just a girl. What makes him think I can't handle myself?"

"Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that you have no idea who that girl is," Marluxia said, smirking like he knew something that Axel didn't. By this point, Axel really wanted to bash Marluxia's face in, but that would blow his cover, so he opted _not_ to set the room on fire.

"You guys keep hinting that I should know her, but I don't! What the hell's going on here?"

"Does it really matter? Takiren Gylfie will be dead soon anyway."

Axel felt something stir deep within himself at this. It was almost like something was physically churning in his stomach.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? Judging from the way the upper circle's been talking about her, she might be useful in the takeover."

"I'm not denying that the Gylfie princess is powerful. In fact, if Saix managed to gain control of her before we break Sora then I might be worried. But that won't happen."

"How's that? That's just what Saix left to do, isn't it?" Axel pointed out.

"Simple," Marluxia began with a shrug. "Riku is still wandering the lower levels, yes? It's not at all suspicious if he suddenly bursts in to rescue his suffering friend."

"You actually think Riku can take on Saix?" Axel asked, dubiously raising an eyebrow.

"He won't have to. You'll see. Larxene will take care of that. And if Takiren manages to get this far, I will kill her myself. The upper circle must have had a reason for choosing to possess her instead of Sora and I will not allow her to stand in my way. So if you want to talk to her then I suggest you do it soon because I won't wait for you to have your little 'heart to heart'."

Axel grimaced slightly at the jibe but chose not to acknowledge it. He turned from Larxene and Marluxia and spoke one last time before leaving.

"I'll be in touch." Then he was gone.

XxX

_Lower Levels_

"Vexen, when I said we could use Riku to defeat Marluxia, this isn't exactly what I had in mind," Zexion said as he looked Vexen's new experiment over.

"But he's perfect," Vexen said with something like pride in his voice. "We can use him to foil Marluxia's plot. Sora will believe that he is the real Riku and it will distract him from their mind games."

"Somehow I don't think that's what you had in mind when you created him. He couldn't even defeat the real Riku. What good will he be against Sora?" Lexaeus asked, his skepticism matching Zexion's. Vexen was about to speak when the object of their conversation broke in.

"That was only one match. I'll get stronger. I've got one thing that the real Riku doesn't. I'm not afraid of the darkness!"

"That's all well and good but I fail to see what difference that will make. While I admit that Riku's ties to the powers of darkness _and_ the keyblade are interesting, I think that's the only reason why you performed this experiment. Sora had nothing to do with this," Lexaeus said.

Vexen was very put out by his comrades' criticism but the tirade he was about to unleash was interrupted before it could begin, much to the gratitude of Lexaeus and Zexion.

"Vexen, leave your pet to the others," Saix said as he stepped out of the portal that had appeared in the room. "It's time."

At this, the Chilly Academic quickly forgot his would-be anger. Saix was offering him a chance to perform an experiment he'd been dying to try for years. Just how much torment could one heart stand? He'd had other subjects to work with before, but now he would have no inhibitions. Now the assignment was to destroy the heart. Just how strong was the heart of a jewel witch?

That dog, Marluxia, would just have to wait.

XxX

_Basement. What does basement have to do with any of my memories?_ Takiren wondered as she stared around the darkened stone chamber. _Could it be…that it's not a memory? What if it's a basement in the castle?_ _But, if so, why would they bring me here?_

"Saix!" she shouted, only to be greeted by the echoing of her own voice. There was only one other person she could think of that might be there.

"Vexen!"

"Ah, you remember my name. I'm so pleased."

Takiren spun around at the sound of the voice. Instead of the way out, she found herself facing down the Organization's Number IV. Almost simultaneously, Sentinel Breeze was in her hands and pointed at Vexen's throat.

"My, we are quite the uncooperative little girl, aren't we? Why the spear?"

"You snuck up behind me."

"Well then, remind me to tell you a week in advance the next time I attempt to disarm you."

"There won't be a next time, Vexen. I'll destroy you right now if you don't tell me what the hell is going on."

"Allow me to disagree, my Lady," Vexen said with a cold sneer. "This is the end for you."

No sooner had the words left his mouth, then Vexen's shield was in his hands and a giant blast of ice was tearing forth from it. The power of the blast sent Takiren flying across the room and she landed very painfully on the floor. Before she could struggle to her feet, Takiren felt the sharp pain of a blade entering her chest just shy of her right lung. Needles of pain exploded in her head and when her vision finally cleared she saw Saix leering down at her. The thing stuck in her chest was his sword. The second he removed it both he and Vexen were on her, dragging her to the wall and standing her upright. They quickly chained her to the wall and took her jewel pouch from her.

"Can't have you using those, now can we," Vexen chided.

"What are you going to do with me?" Takiren asked with as much of a glare as she could muster through her pain.

"You've something we want, Princess. You know that. When you first came here I asked you if you could overcome the demons of your past. It's time for you to live up to that challenge. Personally, I don't think you can do it. What you've been through so far is nothing," Vexen said.

"Do your worst," Takiren hissed. "What makes you think I'll give in to you?"

"The fact that you have a heart. While hearts are a great source of strength they can also be the greatest weakness that a being can have. Having a heart makes you susceptible to pain."

"So you're going to torture me." Takiren said, more to herself than to either of her captors. "I can take it."

Saix just shook his head. Takiren really was a foolish girl.

"You misunderstood him, Takiren. Perhaps you _can_ cope with physical torture. But you cannot shield yourself from your own memories. You cannot change your past. In that respect, memory is the worst possible torture for one with a heart."

With that, Saix raised his hands and a ball of dark energy formed between them. He sent the energy flying at Takiren and the room instantly faded from her eyes. When she returned to her senses, Takiren found herself back on Galenna. She had had enough experience with the Organization's games to know that it was just a memory, but still…she was back home.

It was an early memory. She couldn't have been more than seven.

"_Look at it, Azmaria. Isn't it the most beautiful thing you ever saw?" Young Takiren proclaimed excitedly. Of course, Azmaria was only two and couldn't quite express anything that she was thinking in words. _

_The "most beautiful thing you ever saw" was a solid fifteen-foot drop into a crystal clear pool. She and Azmaria were perched on the overhang that overlooked the pool. A small stream spilled over the edge and into the pool. Takiren was holding a length of rope in her hand that some of the village children had tied to the tree branches overhead. The rope was tied loosely around her waist so she could use it like a swing. Basically the object was to jump from the overhang and swing out over the pool. Some of the older kids didn't use the swing and simply let go of the rope when they were close enough to the surface, but Takiren didn't feel quite up to that challenge yet._

"_I still don't think you can do it," a snide voice said from somewhere behind her. Takiren turned to glare at its owner, a boy about her height and age with short, spiked hair the color of blood._

"_What do you know, Lea?" she asked angrily. Lea was only a little older than she and when he was old enough he would be a member of the royal guard. His family had served hers for generations but they still treated each other as if they firmly believed that the other had cooties._

"_I know that you're a **royal lady**," he said teasingly. "You've probably never even scraped your knee!"_

"_I have so!" she said petulantly. "I'm not a baby."_

"_Then prove it! Don't use the swing. Let go of the rope," he challenged._

_Takiren looked back over the drop-off, suddenly nervous._

"_Isn't that dangerous?"_

"_Why? You're not **scared,** are you?" Lea taunted her._

"_No!" she shouted defiantly as she started to undo the rope around her waist. "Just baby sit Azmaria while I'm gone."_

_Two things happened at once. As Takiren wriggled free of the rope, Azmaria started whimpering and Takiren turned to look at her. She turned too fast and over-balanced. Her arms wind-milled briefly as she tried to regain her footing, but the loop of rope snagged on her ankle and she went careening over the side._

_A look of shock passed over Lea's face. It had never occurred to him that she would actually get hurt. He'd only been teasing her. His family was already training him in the creed of the guards and even at seven, his first instinct was to protect. But Takiren only saw the fear in his eyes for an instant. She fell towards the water and when the rope played out, she felt the loop around her ankle snap taught and her ankle gave a painful twist. She dangled there for a moment before her foot slipped free of the noose and she hit the water. The cold knocked the wind out of her and she started to sink to the bottom. She struggled to kick to the surface but her ankle wouldn't allow it. She just sank farther. She struggled in that cold darkness for what seemed like forever before she felt arms around her, pulling her back to the surface. The swimmer started to tow her to shore and she heard Lea's voice._

"_Stupid! Why'd you have to go and do a stupid thing like fall off the cliff?" he teased. But the rest of his jokes died in his throat when he saw the look on Takiren's face._

"_My ankle…it - hurts," she moaned in pain._

"_Maybe the rope broke it when you fell," Lea suggested lamely as he dragged her up onto dry land. When he looked down at the ankle, he could see that it was indeed lying at an awkward angle._

"_I'll- I'll go get Azmaria," he mumbled. He felt ashamed for allowing this to happen. His father would be angry with him._

_Once he had returned with the two-year-old, Lea knelt down beside Takiren again. Her face was pale and strands of wet, purple hair were clinging to the skin. Her face was contorted in pain._

"_Can you walk?" He asked. She nodded._

"_Maybe…if you help me."_

_Lea quickly complied. He grabbed both of her hands and helped her stand. She swooned for a moment but Lea quickly slung her arm around his shoulders and held her up._

"_I'll get you home, Lady Takiren."_

"_Lady? Since when do you call me Lady? The name's Takiren, if you don't mind," Takiren said, trying to crack a smile. "Don't be so serious, stupid-head. It's not like you."_

_Lea smiled briefly before turning to lead them all back to Gylfie Castle. Lea supported Takiren and little Azmaria trailed behind them._

_X_

_Takiren winced when she heard the sound of skin meeting skin. She couldn't exactly see Lea and his father, but she could hear them. Her mother, Lady Lynn, was working on healing her ankle with one of her jewels and simultaneously shielding her from the disciplinary session._

"_You allowed the princess to get hurt!" Lea's father accused. "You shall be punished for this."_

"_Oberon," Lynn tried to intervene. "He's only a boy. He's not a guard yet."_

"_Still, we've taught him better. He should have known better."_

"_Please, Oberon," Takiren cried out once her mother let her stand up. "It wasn't Lea's fault. He didn't help me because I told him not to."_

_Oberon turned to look at her. "What do you mean, young mistress?"_

"_I shouldn't have tried to do what I did at the swimming hole. It was dumb. But Lea didn't stop my fall because I told him to make sure nothing happened to Azmaria. It was a direct order."_

_Oberon chuckled and turned to Takiren's father, Kieran._

"_A fool, but an honest one you have there, my Lord Kieran. Lady Takiren is not dead and I would not have Lea disobey a direct order of hers."_

_The three adults eventually disappeared to talk of other things, leaving the two children alone._

"_Why'd you do that?" Lea asked._

"_Because you said I couldn't do it," Takiren said with a bold grin._

_Lea just glared at her. "I'm not talkin' about the cliff. I'm talkin' about just now. Why did you lie to them?"_

"_Cuz it wasn't really your fault. You don't need to get hit for something that wasn't your fault. You saved me and I saved your skin. We're even."_

_Lea couldn't think of anything to say to this so he got up and turned to leave._

"_Thank you for saving me, stupid-head," Takiren said to the back of his head. Lea smiled._

"_You're welcome, jerk-face."_

Takiren smiled. The day she and Lea had first become friends. A good memory. But…

"Pleasure…and pain. Combined into one these things can drive a heart mad," Saix whispered in her ear. "To have that which it most loves, and then to have that happiness brutally snatched away…How long will you last?"

In a flash, Takiren was back in Gylfie Castle. But the mood was very different this time. Eight years had passed away.

_Fifteen-year-old Takiren struggled to blink back tears. She was heir apparent to her father's throne. It was not given to her to show weakness…not even at her own mother's funeral._

_The main courtyard was filled with people, all of them watching Lord Kieran say the blessings over Lady Lynn's casket. It was the custom of the Gylfie house to have open-casket funerals, but not this time. This time the body was mangled beyond recognition. The seven houses of Galenna were at war. Lady Lynn was a casualty. _

_Takiren felt Azmaria's shoulder tremble with silent cries beneath her hand. Lea was standing beside her, and though it was hidden from the mourners, she was clasping his hand tightly for support. He had been her personal body guard for almost a year now and it was his duty to always be on hand when she needed him. Now it was enough for him to simply be beside her and be there for her in a way that no one else could._

_Before now the war had never really touched her life. But now…now her beloved mother was cold and dead, the victim of an assassin's blade. The young Lady felt hot tears begin to leak out of her eyes. It wasn't fair. She had been with her mother when the attackers came. How was it that she had been spared and her beautiful, strong mother was about to be laid into the unfeeling earth?_

Takiren felt fresh pain in her heart. Her mother's body was six years cold and yet she felt the aching loss as if it had occurred yesterday. How could the world be happy without her mother in it?

She suddenly felt a flash of fear. If Saix and Vexen could have this effect on her with just two memories…could she really stand against them?

XxX


	6. Before the Virus Takes Hold

(A/N) Is there anybody alive out there? Can anyone here me? I see hits popping up but nay reviews (Cept Sorrowful Love, for which I loive you chicky.) Do people just not like der story? WHAT AM I DOING WRONG? Meh, oh well, can't have everything. At least I'm getting hits. In regards to the events of this chapter, the story's rated M for a reason. What's that you say? You want a hint? Then tell me, why is it that they call them 'lemons'? I've never understood that. Hint enough for you? BTW, Sorrowful Love, it's the chapter you've been waiting for. And the two shall meet…

_**One Kiss Before The Sun Sets**_

_Chapter 6: Before The Virus Takes Hold_

"Seriously Yuffie, where are you taking me?" Azmaria asked. They were moving slowly because the ninja had insisted that she keep her eyes closed and she was leading her. Yuffie just giggled in response to the question.

"No peeking," she teased.

"Naga!" Stitch chimed in. He was scampering around the two in circles as they walked.

"Ok, here we are," Yuffie chirped as she opened the door and pushed Azmaria through. "You can open your eyes now."

Azmaria did so…and saw that the room they had ended up in was sparsely decorated with a few pieces of colored fabric. Cid, Leon, Cloud, Merlin, and Aerith were all sitting around a small table. A white cake was laid out on the table and the words 'Happy Twelvteenth B-day Azmaria' were written on it in green icing.

"There's not a lot of sugar in Hollow Bastion right now. I did what I could," Aerith said apologetically.

"And she kind of wasn't sure which year to out on the cake, so we compromised," Yuffie added.

"And me, I never pass up a chance to eat cake," Cid said with a smirk.

Azmaria stood there for a moment, staring at all of them. She lowered her head and her shoulders began to shake.

"Please don't cry, Azmaria," Merlin said, starting to get up from his chair.

"Happy birthday," Leon said with a completely straight face, not really knowing how else to say it.

Azmaria heard this and looked up. Her face was free of tears and she was giggling.

"Thanks, you guys. I can't believe you would all go out of your way to do this for me."

"Actually, it was Stitch's idea," Leon admitted. "The rest of us just ran with it."

Azmaria looked down at Stitch and immediately swept him up in her arms, hugging him tightly.

"Welcome!" Stitch shouted excitedly as he wriggled out of Azmaria's arms and up onto the table. Using his claws, he sliced up two pieces of the cake and brought one to her. He stuffed the other one in his mouth and swallowed it without chewing. Cloud and Leon gave Stitch "looks" but everyone else just laughed.

"Wonderful," Merlin chortled. "Now let's dig in before Stitch decides to start in on the rest of the cake."

Aerith cut up the rest of the cake and gave everyone a slice. As everyone ate, Azmaria mulled over what she needed to say to them. She had a plan that would enable her to be of use to her new friends, but the plan was contingent upon Merlin being able to help her first.

"Aerith," Azmaria started. "Do you remember the other day when I said I was useless?"

"Yes."

"Well, I have an idea. If it works, I'll be able to help you guys. Merlin, You're a wizard, right?"

"Yes," Merlin answered, suddenly feeling nervous. He could see where this was heading.

"Is there any way that…you could make me…older?"

Merlin regarded the girl a long while before speaking.

"It is doable, young lady, but it is not something you would want to do to yourself. You should grow up normally, experience puberty and all of those emotions normally. Don't throw four years of your life away."

"Four years of my life have already been lost. I can't give four more years to the time I should have already had. By the time I'm old enough it might be too late. I can help you against the Heartless!"

"Azmaria, it's not a predictable spell. If you enter a time warp, there are risks. The warp could affect the way you age. It could mean an existence of pain and loss. You could remain young while everyone else ages and dies. Or you could age rapidly; your life unwinding twice as fast as that of everyone you love."

"Or it could give me exactly what I need," Azmaria said seriously. Merlin's words were making her nervous but she refused to let that stop her. She couldn't back out now.

"Please think, Azmaria. Is this what you really want?" Merlin asked, giving her a rare frown. "Even if the spell works, there will be pain."

"I'll risk it."

"Let her do it, Merlin," Cloud spoke up suddenly. All of the others had been silent up until now and they all turned to look at him. He was leaning back in his chair, resting against the wall, not meeting anyone's eyes. "I've fought with Takiren before. I know how strong she is. If Azmaria's anything like her sister, she can bear it."

Merlin turned from Cloud and back to Azmaria.

"Azmaria?"

"You know how I feel about this," she said quietly, shutting her eyes tightly against the reality of what she was about to do. But there was no other way. She had to do this. She had to be brave…like Takiren.

Merlin sighed. "If this is where your heart truly lies and this is your decision, then I shall abide by it. Return to me in two hours and the spell will be ready."

With that, Merlin rose and left the room. Azmaria slumped in her chair, both relief and dread mounting in her heart. Relief that her plan would go through, but dread at the possibility that it could go horribly wrong.

"And you're sure this is what you want, Azmaria?" Leon asked.

Azmaria raised her head, already composed. "Yes. Takiren would have done it. I will do it now."

Stitch hopped up onto her lap and she hugged him close, saying nothing. She was committed to this course, but that didn't mean she wasn't afraid.

XxX

_Castle Oblivion_

_(Time Unknown)_

"She has lasted much longer than even I could have predicted," Vexen commented as he watched Takiren struggle against her bonds.

"Really, Vexen?" Saix asked in a voice that amounted to casual for him. "I have watched her for almost seven years now. I would not expect anything less of her."

"Indeed? You did not tell us that she had grown so strong. Were it not for the fact that she is half dark I would say that she might rival the Keyblade masters in power."

"You don't believe she could wield both light and darkness? Not even after your experiments with Riku?"

"No," Vexen stated coldly. "No one being can wield both forces. Perhaps there is a middle road, but none can walk it."

Saix studied Takiren as he listened to Vexen's theories. Her writhing was growing steadily weaker and the wound in her shoulder was still bleeding. They had tied a blindfold around her eyes to maximize the effects of the mind rape. Watching her now, he disagreed with Vexen. Takiren was capable. And then there was Riku. In a way, he possessed half of the Superior's power. If he would only let go of his inhibitions…well, who knew? But Vexen didn't notice that Saix was no longer listening and he was still talking.

"Either way, it doesn't matter what she can do. She will break soon. But you know, if we don't do something about that wound you gave her, then she's liable to bleed to death before she _does_ break."

This caught Saix's attention and he grudgingly stepped forward to do the job. She was still his charge after all.

"I don't see why you need to waste your own energy on her. Why can't you just use one of the jewels?" Vexen asked, nodding at the jewel pouch.

"Vexen, you know as well as I that like the Keyblade, those jewels won't work for just anyone. They grew alongside of Takiren's heart. Their hidden power will resonate with no one but her. That is why we need her."

XxX

How long had she been here? She didn't know. Time worked differently in this place that was not a place. She saw memories but she was no longer certain if they all belonged to her.

_Fourteen-year-old Takiren sat at a desk in a small classroom. Lea was sitting next to her with his arms crossed nonchalantly in front of him. He was to be appointed her royal body guard in a few days time and she did not think she had ever seen him look more smug._

_The teacher had left for whatever reason and the boy sitting in front of Lea, Ydem, turned to talk to him._

"_Hey Lea, is it true that when they make you Takiren's guard that you belong to her? She can do whatever she wants with you?"_

_Instead of answering him, Lea glanced sideways at Takiren, giving her a very suggestive smirk._

"_Well…if my lady wishes it."_

_Takiren was angry, but she refused to lose her composure over a jibe like that._

"_Simply amazing, Lea," she said casually._

"_What?"_

"_Your uncanny ability to make everything sound like a terrible innuendo."_

_Lea was about to respond when he noticed that Ydem was checking Takiren out._

"_Don't look at her like that!" Lea snapped. "Only I can look at her like that."_

_Takiren glared at her would-be guard. "You're such a pain."_

"_Mm, but you love me anyway, right?"_

_X_

_Takiren ran along the deck of the ship. It was storming hard and the wooden planks were slick with rain. Her nightgown was soaked through with rain and salt water. Her long hair was coming out of its braid and she could no longer tell if her face was wet with rain or tears._

_The sixteen-year-old ran until she hit the back rail and could go no farther. She stared out into the black night, shivering as much with fear now as with cold. The royal ship may as well have been a slave ship. Her father had sold her._

_Her father had not been the same since her mother's death. He had left the war with the Sanacks and the Abshirs to the other houses. But then the heads of the two houses, Lord Ludor and Lady Soryu, came to them with an offer of peace. They would cease fighting and pay reparations if, and only if, Ludor could have Takiren to wed. Kieran had agreed without an argument. Some of the other houses had argued but they had all eventually agreed that it was the only way to keep peace. Before this offer there had been no end in sight. So Takiren was sold in marriage to Ludor. Two ships were outfitted to sail to the Sanack kingdom. Her father, Azmaria, and Lea's parents were on the first and she and Lea were on the second. Takiren choked back another sob at the thought of Lea. These would be her last few days with him._

_The past two years as her guardian had straightened Lea out and he wore maturity very well. They were best friends, and Takiren thought that maybe…she might…_

"_No! No, it's too late now!" she cried, shouting into the black night. She cried wordlessly for help. Her father, Azmaria, **her mother**; anyone who still cared._

_**Lea…Lea…**_

_There was no reason left. It didn't matter anymore. No one would help. Her father had turned from her. Her mother was dead. And Lea…she would not drag him into this. Any duty she'd been obligated to fulfill was to her own house, and now even that was gone. It seemed that they were all trying to take everything away from her. So she would make it easy for them. She would leave. With icy fingers and feet numb with cold, she began to hoist herself up onto the stylized wooden railing, supporting herself against one of the lantern posts. _

"_Lady?"_

_At the sound of the voice, Takiren turned her head sharply, searching the darkness with haunted eyes._

"_Up here, lady."_

_She looked up and saw one of the sailors up in the crow's nest._

"_What's the matter, Lady Takiren?" he shouted over the howling storm. "You look pale as death."_

_Takiren smiled bitterly as she turned back to the wine-dark sea below her. Pale as death? How ironic. She heard the sailor still calling to her but she didn't respond. She forced one of her hands to release its grip on the lantern post. This had to be done. _

_She heard the lookout shouting for help somewhere overhead. _

_**Yes! Now! Let go!**_

"_Takiren?"_

_Takiren twisted around and saw Lea standing a few feet behind her. He had responded to the lookout's call immediately and hadn't even pulled his shirt on yet. All in an instant, suspicion, realization, worry, and terror flashed across his face, but he kept a level head. He was so alert…and so alive. Takiren suddenly felt as if she were already dead and staring back at what she had left behind. That one thing that she could never have. _

"_Takiren! Get down from there before you fall!"_

_**No more.**_

"_Takiren!"_

_She let go._

_X_

"_Approach the throne, young Lea," Lord Kieran commanded._

_When he received his cue, fourteen-year-old Lea crossed the throne room and went to kneel before the royal dais. Lord Kieran and Lady Lynn were sitting at the top and Takiren sat on a smaller chair about halfway up the dais. It was before her that Lea knelt. _

"_Do you, Lea, solemnly swear to protect the Lady Takiren with your body and soul? Do you swear to lay down your life for hers if needed, and give yourself entirely to her command?"_

"_I swear it," Lea said without a trace of his usual playfulness. Once he had spoken, Kieran stood from the throne and addressed the entire room._

"_Let it be written that on this day, Lea has taken the oath of the guardian. Now Lea, stand and receive your lady's mark upon your body."_

_When Lea stood up, Takiren smiled at him and kissed him on both cheeks. Once the ceremony was over, Lea's father would tattoo the real marks on his face. The two black diamonds would signify that he belonged to her._

_But Lea didn't seem to be thinking about that now. As he stepped back from her, he flashed her a wicked grin, promising mischief once all of the pomp and circumstance was over._

_Takiren returned the grin. Maybe this arrangement wouldn't be so bad after all._

_X_

_Takiren sat on the stone floor of the courtyard, holding a sobbing Azmaria in her arms. She had her own tears, but they were silent. The two sisters were leaning against their mother's coffin. Lea had gone with Kieran and Oberon to see mourners off. Kieran would return later, but now it was Takiren and Azmaria's turn to be with their mother. _

_Takiren eventually stood, pulling Azmaria to her feet and turning to face the casket. At length, she felt a hand on her shoulder._

"_Are you all right, Lady Takiren?" Lea asked._

"_Please," she whispered in a husky voice. "Don't call me Lady anymore. One of the assassins…he kept calling me 'Lady'. He held onto me while…while…" her voice broke. Lea awkwardly tried to hug her from behind._

"_It's all right, Takiren. You're safe."_

_Takiren released her grip on Azmaria and spun around to face Lea._

"_They killed my mother and her warriors. I…I don't understand why I didn't die there as well. I could have!" she shouted, growing more hysterical with every word. "**So why am I still alive!**"_

_This time there was no awkwardness as Lea put his arms around her and hugged her to his chest. She wasn't just his lady. She was his best friend._

"_You have to live, for your mother's sake. For all our sakes."_

"_Is it really all right for me to live?" she whispered, her voice ridden with guilt._

"_Of course," he said with a small smile. "What do you think it would do to me if you were dead?"_

_X_

_Takiren felt almost liberated as the wooden railing slid out from under her feet and pitched her towards the sea's waiting embrace. Would death be merciful and swift…or would she be forced to linger?_

_However, these thoughts danced through her head very briefly, for the free fall was suddenly stopped. Takiren looked back up and saw Lea leaning precariously over the rail. He had raced forward and grabbed her wrist at the last possible moment, snatching her back from the void._

"_Why?" she asked him, though her voice didn't quite carry over the wind._

_Lea didn't answer. He simply pulled her back up onto the ship and lifted her shivering body into his arms. He turned and headed back up the deck, walking past all of the sailors who had gathered at the lookout's call. Perhaps it was the way his arms clung so tightly to her, or the purposeful way he strode up the deck, but whatever the reason, Takiren suddenly felt very small._

_Instead of taking her back to her own room, Lea carried Takiren into his room and sat her down on his bed. Then he started to pace the room._

"_Why?" she repeated the question calmly._

"_I'm your body guard!" he answered irritably as he continued to pace. _

"_You don't understand!" she cried in an attempt to make him listen. "I can't go through with this. My father **sold** me to Ludor. My own home doesn't want me anymore!"_

"_You can't believe that," Lea said, finally turning to face her. He knelt before her and took both of her hands in his. She looked him in the eyes. Her own eyes were awash with pain._

"_Please, help me die, Lea!"_

"_I can't do that, Takiren. Did you even consider for one moment what your death would do to me? I'd be blamed for it and no one would ever trust me again, but even that's not important. I'd miss you too much if you left now. I…I don't want to be without you. Not ever."_

_**Wait! What is he saying?**_

"_Takiren, I can't help you because…" Lea looked as if he were grappling with tears himself; as if what he was about to say both scared and pained him. "because I am in love with my lady, and I have to know…if she loves me too."_

_Takiren could do nothing but stare. He…loved her? He, the brave, strong warrior, loved her, the cowardly little girl who had tried to run away? She felt many different things all at once but the one all-consuming thought that rose above all of the turmoil was that she truly loved him back. When the revelation hit, she looked up at Lea. The same fear she had felt in her heart only moments ago was mirrored in his eyes. As children they had teased and tormented each other. As they grew they had become friends, and now he was bearing his soul before her. His heart was hers to make or break. No more words. Takiren swiftly closed the distance between them and pressed her lips against his. For a moment, surprise registered on Lea's face. But he was soon caught up in the kiss and he stood up and wrapped his arms around her. He had his answer._

_Before either of them knew it they were sprawled out on Lea's bed, kissing each other with a passion that neither had believed the other possessed. At one point, Lea pulled away from Takiren and looked her directly in the eyes._

"_Takiren…is this what you want? To be like this…with me?"_

_She didn't speak. She could see in his eyes that it would pain him to step back from her, but he would if that was what she wanted. But she **did** want this. She wanted nothing more than to love him and for him to love her. She reached for one of his hands and placed it upon her breast._

"_Do you want me, Lea?"_

_Lea was loosing control of himself. All he could do was nod._

"_Then take me."_

_Takiren could feel the control slipping away from both of them as Lea undressed them. When he finally took her, he felt like a raging fire between her legs. It felt wonderful…even the parts that weren't. There was pain, and when she cried he kissed away her tears and whispered to her how much he loved her._

_When it was over, Lea fell asleep in her arms. As they lay there, wrapped up in each other, Takiren ran her fingers through his blood-red hair and sadly thought of what tomorrow would bring. This was not life. It was one stolen night, one whisper in the dark. Tomorrow she would face Ludor._

"_Lea," she whispered to him, though she knew he couldn't hear. He just moaned softly in his sleep. "Thank you. I don't want to die anymore."_

_X_

_Darkness had fallen. Lady Lynn and Takiren had ridden to a small cluster of villages on the sea coast of their kingdom to survey the damage done by a raiding party of Abshirs and now they were returning home. Her mother had decided to stop for the night and the royal guard was scurrying around setting up camp. Lea and his mother, Aranelle, who was also Lynn's personal body guard, had gone ahead to scout out the trail. When night fell…that was when everything went to hell._

_Takiren was in her tent when she heard the first shouts. She leapt up and ran outside, only to find that a good number of the warriors had already been killed. Takiren saw her mother engaged with a figure dressed all in black. Takiren was about to run forward and help when she felt a pair of hands grab her arms and yank her back. Her captor held her tightly and placed a dagger against her throat. She couldn't reach her jewel pouch._

"_You only get to watch, Lady," a masculine voice whispered in her ear. He held her head forward and threatened to cut her throat if she dared to look away. One by one she watched the guards fall to the shadowy attackers. Where were Lea and Aranelle?_

_Her mother lasted the longest against the invaders. She managed to beat back anyone who challenged her until one in particular stepped forward. This assassin had such a ferocious fighting style that Lynn's jewels finally fell. The assassin's blade found vital arteries and sliced her up from head to toe, destroying her beautiful face as best it could._

_When it was all over, a group of assassins gathered around Lynn, hiding her from view. Takiren's captor began to drag her forward. _

"_Patience, Lady. Your turn is coming soon," he said, pressing his blade harder against her neck and drawing a thin line of blood._

"_Orphio!" a female voice called out. It was the assassin who had taken down her mother. "Leave her be. Takiren is not to be harmed."_

_Her captor immediately released her and shoved her into the waiting arms of her mother's attacker. The female assassin wore a black mask and the only signs of color were the blue slits of her eyes and the crest on the forehead of her mask. It was a rose with a blade stuck through it: the Abshir crest. _

_Before Takiren could react to this discovery, the assassin spun her around to face the circle of assassins surrounding her mother. As the black-clad warriors parted ranks, the female assassin forced her to her knees beside her mother. What Takiren saw would forever scar her memory. _

_Her mother's arms, stomach, and face were badly slashed. Her neck had been sliced open and her head was lying at an awkward angle. She wasn't dead yet and a strange gurgling sound was coming out of the slit in her throat. One of her emerald green eyes was hanging loose from its socket and the other was staring lazily up at the sky. One of her arms was flung out towards Takiren in a death throe, but there was still some awareness left in her. Her one good eye caught sight of her daughter and she opened her mouth wide as if to speak._

"_Ta…ki…" she rasped._

_At this, the scream that Takiren had been holding back ever since the beginning of the ordeal tore loose from her throat. Never had she known such horror, such pain, such rage._

_But then, something else broke through her terror, a voice…Lea's voice._

"_TAKIREN!"_

_X_

_Takiren sat next to Ludor on the Sanack royal dais. Her head was bowed in sorrow and she had her hands crossed over her lap as if that gesture alone could alleviate the pain between her thighs. They had only been in the Sanacks' jungle kingdom for twenty-four hours and things could not be going worse. Ludor was about to put Lea on trial for doing his job; protecting her._

_Takiren stole a glance at the Gylfie dais, where her father and Azmaria were seated. Oberon and Aranelle were standing passively beside Lord Kieran and Takiren wondered if any of them would step in. Oberon might. Lea was his son, after all. But her own father…hell, he might side with Ludor. He refused to listen, refused to believe what Ludor had done._

"_Guards," Ludor signaled. "Bring out the prisoner."_

_The heads of the seven houses had all turned up for the wedding that was supposed to be happening today, but now the seven daises were set up around a sand arena in a clearing a ways away from the Sanack castle. A small tent was set up at the far end of the arena and it was out of this that four guards dragged Lea. They led him to stand before the Sanack dais and forced him to kneel before it._

"_Seven of Galenna," Ludor began as he stood up from his chair. "Look upon this Lea and know the face of a traitor. While it is my will that he should die, he is not my servant to kill and his offense is against all of us. What say you?"_

_At Ludor's call, Lady Soryu Abshir immediately rose to address the other heads. Soryu was a dark woman. Her skin was a coffee-brown color and her blue eyes were the almost-black color of the ocean's depths. Her midnight black hair swirled to her shoulders and her lithe body and domineering presence spoke of things too wicked for the light of day. Takiren had not met Soryu before today but she could already see that she would make a formidable adversary. _

"_Seven of Galenna," she addressed them. "Lord Ludor and I want peace just as much as all of you. Lea would see this marriage destroyed for his own selfish reasons. It is none of his affair how Lord Ludor deals with his wife, yet he had the gall to step between them. You would let peace die for one man? Kill him."_

_When Takiren heard Soryu's voice, a chord sounded in her memory, though she knew not why. It wasn't just what she was saying, horrible as it was. It was the sound of it. There was something here that she was missing. _

"_What does Lea have to say for himself?" Lord Ivi Tyrfing stepped forward._

"_With all due respect," Lea began, somehow managing to keep his anger in check. "My Lady Takiren doesn't belong to Lord Ludor yet. She is still my charge and I am hers to command, not Ludor's. If she ever calls out my name in fear of her life, I will take that as an invitation to intervene. It doesn't matter if it is a beggar or an enemy king that threatens her. I will do my duty."_

"_Insolent runt!" Ludor burst out. "I cast my vote now. Kill him!"_

"_Enemy king, is it? You see how he holds this alliance in contempt? Let him die!" Soryu called out._

"_The boy does not have the right to challenge the Sanack Lord. I vote death!" shouted Lord Carth Eiliyah._

"_I choose life. Lea was only doing his duty," said Lord Ivi._

"_The Lady Takiren is no one's property! Spare him!" Lady Rozenwyn of the house of Ipso cried._

"_Spare his life. His infraction is nothing to end Lea's life over. We must show mercy," Lord Kibito Karoq added._

_Takiren looked to her father once more. The vote was dead even and majority ruled. Lea's life was completely in his hands. Without looking over at either Oberon or Aranelle, Kieran rose to his feet._

"_The youth forgets his place. Let him be killed," Kieran announced with such finality that it nearly tore Takiren in two._

"_NO!" she screamed._

"_You don't understand!" Lea appealed to all those who had called for his death. "He raped her!"_

_An outcry rose up among the crowd at this accusation, but Takiren heard none of it. She turned to Ludor and threw herself at his feet. Shame and status suddenly had no meaning. The only thought in her head was that she was about to lose Lea forever._

"_Please, please my lord! I beg of you to spare his life! Please have mercy!"_

"_My dear lady, why should I?" Ludor asked, sounding very self-satisfied. _

_Takiren glanced down at Lea. No more hiding. If it would save him, then she would bare their secret before the world. Virtue or no virtue, a world without Lea was not a world that she wanted to live in._

"_Because I love him, Lord Sanack."_

"_Love him?" Ludor queried with a mocking sneer. He turned his gaze down to the condemned. "And does this prisoner return your love?"_

_Takiren continued to gaze down at Lea, trying to convey all of the emotion that she felt in that one glance. This was the moment of truth. In the face of death, would Lea admit his love? Was it real? Or had he merely said what she wanted to hear that night in order to keep her from harming herself? But Lea's eyes held only sincerity as he spoke._

"_Takiren, my lady, my friend…I love you more than life itself."_

_For that one brief, happy moment, the world was made up of just the two of them. Takiren smiled at Lea, and he smiled back. Their smiles were just for each other, despite the danger they were both in. But the moment was snatched away all too soon, stolen by Ludor._

"_Ah, young love," Ludor said with a mock show of tears. "Your pleas have not fallen upon a heart of stone. But traitors to the houses must die!"_

_Takiren heard this and knew that no matter what happened, she would not stand by and let them kill Lea. She rose to her feet and climbed down from the dais. She heard Ludor's angry protests from somewhere behind her but she paid them no heed. There was no going back._

_When Takiren reached Lea, she pushed the guards back and pulled him to his feet. She untied the ropes that bound his wrists and embraced him._

"_Takiren, you shouldn't be doing this," Lea whispered as they hugged, though his voice betrayed the relief he felt._

"_How could you love me if I deserted you now? I don't know what will happen now, but we will go on together. I will live or die with you."_

_Lea nodded solemnly as they turned to face Ludor. They clasped hands even as the guards regrouped around them._

"_Lord Ludor, I think, maybe, we might need to rethink who should be on trial here. Rape is a serious charge," Lord Ivi said coldly, having taken stock of the exchange._

"_I second the motion," Lady Rozenwyn said. "I'll not make peace with the Sanacks if Ludor has been anything but honorable where Lady Takiren is concerned."_

_X_

"_Why have you brought me here?" Takiren asked stoically. The wedding wasn't until tomorrow and she and Ludor weren't supposed to see each other until then. The only time they should have seen each other was when Ludor and his entourage greeted her ships earlier that afternoon. But Ludor had waylaid her after dinner and asked if she would walk with him. She'd agreed, and somehow they'd ended up at the Sanack lord's tent._

"_I wanted to…get to know you a little better before our wedding night. Yes, that's it," he said with a slight smirk. He took a step towards her and she took a step back. Something didn't feel right about this. The smirk on his face, the swagger to his step, all of it smacked of danger._

"_What do you mean?" she asked nervously, taking another step back towards the tent flap. Ludor followed her._

"_Well, if we're going to spend the rest of our lives together then we should make sure that…" he trailed off. For a moment, the two of them just stood, frozen in place. But then, Ludor seized her shoulders and forced a kiss on her. For an instant, Takiren's senses were overwhelmed by the taste of the spiced wine on his breath. But the next, she was wrenching herself out of his grasp._

"_What are you doing!" she shouted. He didn't answer her. He just licked his lips and smirked wolfishly at her._

"_You taste like honey."_

"_You do **not** have permission to touch me! We're not married yet."_

"_I told you, I want to get to know you," he said in that silky, accented voice of his. He slowly maneuvered her away from her only escape and back into his trap. So slowly that she wasn't even aware of it until it was too late. "I'm taking my wedding present now."_

"_Stay away from me!" Takiren threatened as she fumbled for her jewel pouch. "Or I'll…I'll…"_

"_Or you'll what?" Ludor asked snidely, holding up her jewel pouch. "You're no match for me, Takiren. You're powerless without these."_

"_I…I'll scream," she said, backing away from him and further into the tent. Her progress was halted by Ludor's bed._

"_And who do you think will come? Your own father abandoned you. You belong to me now. There is no one left to hear you scream."_

_There was nowhere left to run. Takiren only had a moment to be truly afraid before Ludor pounced on her. She tried to fight back but she could never hope to match him in physical strength. He forced her down on the bed, tearing the clothing from her as he went. This wasn't like what she had shared with Lea. There was no passion here, only pain. For those next few moments, the longest of her life, her world became an unending string of pain. It began between her legs and continued to spread. Ludor cut her skin just to hear her scream. And scream she did. Ludor had the strangest weapons. At first glance they looked like playing cards, but whatever they were, their edges were razor sharp and he used them as knives. Amidst the sweat, blood, and pain, there was only one cut she actually remembered receiving. It was also the only one to scar._

_Ludor took two of the card blades, dug them into her skin at the shoulder blades, and dragged them along the flesh, creating deep gashes as he dragged them under her arms and under her breasts. Through her haze of pain, Takiren could practically taste the blood in the air. Her throat was hoarse from screaming. Only one thought remained in her head. Maybe…he could make the pain go away. A single word finally formed out of her inane screaming. _

"_LEA!" she cried with the last of her strength._

_As if that last cry had summoned him by magic, Lea burst into the tent, wielding two bladed weapons, his chakrams. Takiren would learn later that he had heard her screams from the start but he hadn't been able to find the tent. But for now, All Takiren cared about was that he had come for her._

_Lea saw Takiren splayed out on the bed, disheveled and bleeding. He saw Ludor standing up and starting to dress and clean himself._

"_What did you do to her!" he asked furiously. _

"_None of your concern, guard," he said dismissively. "Leave, now."_

_But Lea's eyes were only for Takiren at this point. She called out to him and weakly reached an arm towards him and he came to her._

"_Help me," she moaned. "It- hurts. It hurts so much."_

"_Get out of here, now!" Ludor ordered. "She is no concern of yours."_

"_Takiren, where are your jewels?" Lea asked, ignoring Ludor. "You can use one of them to heal."_

_Takiren raised a hand and pointed at Ludor. Lea turned to face him._

"_Return the jewels now," he said forcefully._

"_I do not take orders from you!" Ludor fumed as he drew five of his card blades. "If you want the jewels, then come take them from me."_

_Lea's answer to the challenge was a swift flick of the wrist. This action sent one of the chakrams flying towards Ludor. The Sanack Lord barely managed to dodge the spinning blades. In fact they came so close that the chakram shaved off a little of his light hair. Ludor sent several of his card blades flying at the red head but he easily blocked most of them. Ludor's heart was not in the fight and Lea walked away mostly unscathed with Takiren's jewel pouch in hand._

"_You'll pay for this insult, slave! You'll be dead by morning!" Ludor warned._

"_Just try and take me. You're the one who's going to pay! You won't hurt Takiren again!" Without waiting for another angry response, Lea turned back to Takiren and began to wrap one of the wrinkled blankets from the bed around her. When she was decently covered, Lea picked her up and strode out of the tent. Takiren had already pulled out one of her healing stones and was healing her wounds._

"_Are you all right?" Lea asked her, sounding on the verge of tears himself. Takiren looked up at him and saw that his eyes were filled with worry. She wanted to put him at ease but she couldn't lie about this. She felt sick, almost as if something inside of her had been killed._

"_No," she whispered. The physical pain was lessening under the glow of her gem, but not all aches could be so easily healed. She leaned into his chest, allowing him to cradle her in the warm circle of his arms. "But it will go away now. It will all go away." But even as she said it, Takiren knew that it was little more than a childish wish. This would never truly leave either of them. _

"_This is my fault," he said, his voice fraught with guilt. "If I'd paid more attention, then you wouldn't have been-"_

"_No, Lea," Takiren whispered gently. "This isn't your fault. This wouldn't have happened if I wasn't so weak."_

"_You're **not** weak, Takiren," Lea said, sounding almost angry. But that little bit of anger seemed to finally crack the brave exterior he'd been holding up for her sake. Lea sat down beside one of the tents and sat Takiren next to him. He hugged her close and, for the first time in her life, Takiren heard Lea cry._

"_I can't do it!" He cried into her hair. "I can't stand beside you and watch another man take you. I thought I could bear it, both of us doing our duties and simply living with the knowledge that you loved me. But I can't do that. If I let you marry him…after tonight…he'll get you killed, Takiren! Marrying him won't solve anything. That night during the storm…that one moment when I saw you fall and disappear…I thought I'd lost you forever. I can't lose you again! I can't. I'm not strong enough for that."_

"_You won't lose me. No matter what happens, no matter what Ludor does to me, my heart belongs to you. You'll always have me."_

_They clung together like that for what seemed like an eternity. Neither of them said anything; they simply took comfort in holding each other. Lea shielded Takiren from the self-loathing sickness that had invaded her body and Takiren shielded Lea from the fear that had taken hold of his heart and soul._

_X_

"Hmm, didn't know Luxord had it in him," Vexen said, sneering at the memory.

"Indeed. That was certainly an interesting memory," Saix said as he walked back towards Takiren. Both Nobodies had access to the memories their victim was being forced to relive in case either of them felt that it was necessary to step in. Takiren had stopped struggling awhile ago. Her reactions had become limited to a moan or a slight twitch of the arm now and then. Her head hung down upon her chest and the blindfold was soaked with tears and sweat. For the moment, she was completely dead to the world.

_I wonder…_ Saix thought to himself. He had gathered from the memory that that last wound had scarred for some reason. However, it was his experience that jewel witches could heal pretty much any injury before it scarred. Why should this one be any different?

Saix grabbed at a small tear in the purple fabric of Takiren's shirt. Without much effort he tore the shirt open and began to lift up her bra.

"Saix, what are you doing?" Vexen asked in puzzlement as Takiren's chest bounced into view.

Saix didn't answer. He continued with his quest. The skin beneath her breasts was indeed marked by twin scars. He placed his hands on the ends of the scars between her breasts and began to trace them with his fingers until they terminated on her shoulder blades. An interesting mark indeed.

"Saix? Is there any particular reason why you are _hugging_ the subject?"

"Do you remember the injury Takiren received in that last memory?" Saix asked as he disentangled himself from the half-conscious young woman. "I was wondering if it had really scarred over and it would appear that it has."

"But…that's impossible isn't it? Why would a jewel witch allow an injury to scar? Do you think Luxord might know? He was the one who inflicted it after all."

"Perhaps. Vexen, once we have her heart, you will go and question Luxord about these marks. They might be nothing, but I seriously doubt that. Otherwise they would have healed."

Vexen grimaced slightly at the order, but he merely nodded to show his consent and turned his attention back to the experiment.

XxX

_Hollow Bastion_

_Riku's Old Room_

"So…why this room?" Leon asked Merlin as he surveyed the sealed door. Merlin had turned the room that had once belonged to Sora's friend, Riku, into a time warp.

"Because, oddly enough, this is the spot in the castle that is most unstable. I would have thought the most unstable place would have been the chapel or the lower levels but it was right here. I have a theory, but it's just that: a theory."

"Well…?"

"From what I gathered from Sora and Kairi, Riku surrendered himself to darkness, but he fought with that darkness and broke free of it. Wherever Riku is now, he is struggling within himself. Inner battles are the most tempestuous of all and as such, produce the most unstable of energies. Considering what Maleficent and Ansem put his heart through here, it is not surprising that much of his energy is still connected to this room. Life energy at that degree of instability is what is required to create a time warp. Plus, as I understand it, Riku and Takiren had some sort of connection. If anything can keep Azmaria's spirit stable in the middle of one of the most unstable things in the world, it's a connection with her family, however distant it might be."

"Is it ready yet?" a timid voice asked from the end of the hallway. Merlin and Leon looked up to see Azmaria heading towards them. Stitch, Yuffie, Aerith, and Cid all walked beside her.

"It is ready," Merlin said gravely. "I think the question is, are _you_ ready?"

Azmaria nodded. "What do I have to do?"

"It's quite simple. I'll open the door, you'll step through, and I'll seal the door behind you. When the spell has played out for the desired number of years the warp will end and you will be able to leave," Merlin explained as he opened up the door. Instead of a room, a swirl of color and light awaited beyond the open door. Azmaria stared at the depthless abyss for many long moments.

"And…what will I find inside?"

"You will find pain," Merlin answered bluntly. "You will experience four years of growth in only a few hours. You will have to deal with emotions it takes most people two or three years to untangle. You will face the elements of your past that will help shape the woman you will become. It will not be easy."

"Can Stitch go?" Stitch asked. In the short time they'd known each other, he and Azmaria had become fast friends and he wanted to be there for her. He knew Lilo would like Azmaria.

"No, Stitch. This is something that Azmaria must do by herself."

"All right. I'm ready," Azmaria said. Her voice was filled with resignation as she turned to face her future.

"Be safe, Azmaria," Aerith called to her as she stepped through the portal. Once she had disappeared from sight Merlin closed the door behind her and sealed it with a quick incantation.

"Merlin…will she be all right?" Yuffie asked.

Merlin turned away from the door with a sad expression on his face.

"It's out of my hands, Yuffie."

XxX

_Castle Oblivion_

_13th floor: Axel's Room_

Axel sat on his bed, idly spinning one of his chakrams. At the moment, he was at a bit of a loss. He had been inexplicably nervous ever since Marluxia had announced his intentions to kill the jewel witch. Something seemed wrong with just allowing it to happen. Plus, he hadn't even had the chance to talk to her yet and Xemnas would more than likely be displeased if he allowed Marluxia to kill their pawn.

Unbidden, an image of the woman wormed its way into his mind. Her piercing green eyes, that lithe body, the heart he knew was beating in her chest. He envied her that, but the rest of her…something inside of what remained of his being was screaming that he knew her. Every hollow, every line and curve cried out to him. He could see her in his mind even now, crying out, "_Why don't you know me?"_

In a fit of frustration, Axel flung the chakram at the wall. The blades sang briefly as the weapon whirled through the air but their music was silenced when it buried itself in the wall with a resounding _thunk_.

"Damn it, Takiren! I wish I knew!" he shouted as if she could hear him. He was almost ready to kick back and let Marluxia kill her, anything to be rid of the turmoil she caused in him.

_Who are you?_

"Wish you knew what?" Larxene asked as she walked into his room.

"What are you doing here?" Axel shot back, clearly annoyed.

"Touchy. Touchy. I just came to tell you that Marluxia wants you to go step in down stairs."

"I thought you were supposed to take care of that."

"Meh. Marluxia wants you to do it."

"Why?"

"Damned if I know. But hey, you've been wanting to talk to her sooooo bad. Here's your chance. But you'd better hurry," she added with a cruel smile. "She won't last much longer. Especially if Saix is the one doing the whipping."

Axel retrieved his chakram from the wall and left without another word to Larxene.

Larxene just sneered wickedly as she sauntered out of Number VIII's room. Marluxia had explained the situation between Takiren and Axel's Other to her. Larxene had no heart. None of them did. However, each of them had something that made them feel closer to what they lacked. Xigbar had his target practice. Xaldin had his books. Vexen had his research. Lexaeus had his puzzles. Zexion had his…erm…domestic habits. Marluxia had his gardening, oddly enough. Luxord had his gambling. Demyx had his music. Saix had his devotion to their cause and the Superior had his obsession with Kingdom Hearts. Roxas…well, who could tell with Roxas? He wasn't like the rest of them. But as for herself, Larxene had her sadism. Before she had lost her heart, she had had something of a conscience. But once that was gone her sadistic habits had risen to unprecedented heights. The suffering of others made her feel whole. It didn't matter if she had to hurt 100 or 100,000 people, just so long as she could create her own illusion of being complete. Nothing could compare with watching Axel and Takiren destroy each other. Twisting love was one of the Savage Nymph's particular favorites.

XxX

_Lower Levels_

"I'm beginning to get impatient, Vexen," Saix said. "How much longer?"

"Look, I told you, I don't know," Vexen replied, adding a bit of a snarl to the last three words. As he spoke, he never actually looked over at the Luna Diviner. He kept his gaze fixed on Takiren. To the casual observer, she would have appeared to be dead, but she was nothing of the sort. Though her body had exhausted itself struggling, she was still fighting in her mind.

"Why won't you break?" he hissed at her.

X

_A nightmare had awoken Takiren that night. A nightmare of…the rape. It had been several months since the whole incident but it still haunted her, probably always would. _

_Lea had just returned from the front lines that night. Without announcement or ceremony, he had gone straight to her chamber. She had welcomed him with open arms and he had remained with her the rest of the night. When she woke up he still had his arms around her, but she managed to slip out of his embrace. She walked over towards the window to try and get some fresh air but even that didn't get rid of the unclean feeling in her lower regions. She shuddered as the memory drifted through her head. She remembered the feeling of Ludor running his fingers through her hair and, in a desperate fit of disgust, she had activated one of her jewels and used the resulting dagger to hack off her long purple tresses. _

_Lea had awoken when he heard her crying. He sat up in bed and found Takiren sitting amongst the ruins of her beautiful hair. He hadn't needed to ask. He understood. He got down on the floor next to her, wrapped his arms around her, and rocked her as she cried. Once the fit was over, she started mumbling about how foolish she was._

"_You know, you're right. You shouldn't have just chopped your hair off like that. I kind of liked it the way it was. I probably won't be here very long. Promise me you'll start growing it back by the time I come home again."_

"_I promise," Takiren said softly. "But only if you let yours grow out a little."_

"_That's fine by me. Do we need to get this promise in writing or do you have it memorized?"_

_Takiren giggled slightly, thankful that he was trying to cheer her up._

"_Don't worry, Lea. I've got it memorized."_

_X_

"_Let me pass, Takiren," Riku said tersely. He was carrying a young woman with dark hair in his arms. She was unconscious. _

"_I can't let you. Not until you let her go," Takiren said. She was holding the jewel that would produce Sentinel Breeze out in front of her as a threat. There was no on else around on the streets of Agrabah today. Just the two of them facing each other down._

"_Takiren, you told me you've been searching for Lea for four years. I have a way to save the person I've been searching for. Sora's too weak to do it. This is the only way to save Kairi."_

"_You can't do this, Riku. There has to be another way."_

"_There isn't."_

"_Kairi wouldn't want to be saved this way. Would she really want you to hurt others for her? This girl has a family…maybe someone who loves her. Would you make them suffer what you've suffered?"_

"_This girl is a Princess of Heart," Riku countered coldly. "It's what she is for."_

"_You can't possibly believe that! She's a human being! She's done nothing to you. Let her go! Now!"_

"Why won't you give it back to me?"

As he spoke, Riku's face went completely blank and he began to change form. He grew taller and his skin grew darker. His hair grew longer and the Heartless emblem appeared on his chest. It briefly occurred to Takiren that this was no longer a memory.

_I've seen his face before…but where?_

"All hearts begin in darkness," the shade said to her. "And it is the fate of every heart to return to darkness. Why do you fight it? You've suffered enough. Open your heart to darkness and end your pain."

_That's a fair question. Why am I fighting?_ But her heart instantly gave her the answer.

"I'm fighting because I have to save Lea."

"Lea? Heh, you will never be able to reach him again. His heart belongs again to darkness. I am darkness itself. Surrender your power to me."

"My power?"

"Yes. Give yourself over to me, Takiren." As the shade spoke, it began to change form again. The silver hair turned blue and an X-shaped scar formed on the face. The white coat shifted to black robes and the dark skin turned milk-white. Finally, Saix was standing before her. Takiren gasped and took a step back. Saix walked towards her and Agrabah began to fade around them until they stood in complete darkness.

"I repeat, why won't you give it to me?"

"Give what to you?"

"Your heart. Relinquish yourself to the darkness!"

"Never." Takiren suddenly felt herself hit a wall, even though there was none to be seen. What she didn't realize was that this encounter was actually happening outside of her mind and she was chained to a wall. Saix had her trapped.

"Why not?"

"I'll make you pay for what you did to Lea!"

"With no jewels and no allies? Just what do you propose to do?"

"I will _kill_ you!" she hissed.

"I won't let those last four years be for naught," he said as he drew ever closer to her. "I will make you understand how futile your quest is."

"Lea's all I have left. I _will_ save him!"

Saix was right up against her now. He leaned down close to whisper in her ear.

"Did you know that your sister is still alive?"

Takiren's eyes opened wide beneath the blindfold. Azmaria was…all right? All this time her little sister had been out there and she hadn't tried to find her. Fresh tears began to leak out of her eyes.

"Poor, poor Takiren Gylfie," Saix mocked her. "You've fought for such a long time, but now your power won't save you. What will you do? What _can_ you do…but give yourself over to the darkness."

Takiren slumped against the wall. It was her darkest hour. In that moment she knew what it was to lose all hope. If either Vexen or Saix had bothered to look, they would have seen that all the jewels in her armory had lost their light. Just as her spirit had been defeated, so had their fighting power been defeated. If they had had but another moment, Vexen and Saix would have had her heart. But, luckily for Takiren, Axel chose that exact moment to come barging into the chamber.

"Saix! Vexen! You've got to get topside. Now! We've got problems."

Saix looked up from Takiren's unmoving body and glared at Axel. His connection with her had been lost and he had lost hold on her heart.

"Axel, what are you doing here?" Saix asked, obviously on the edge of control. "You've ruined everything. Now we'll have to start all over again!"

"Uh, Saix…we've got some bigger issues," Axel said, scratching the back of his head as if he were embarrassed or ashamed of what he was about to say. "Would you believe me if I told you that Larxene's gone crazy?"

"I might," Saix began as he pulled away from Takiren. "What exactly has happened?"

"She went into psycho-bitch mode or something like that. She set a bunch of lightening fires up on the 13th floor and it's a wreck up there. Marluxia's trying to restrain her and-"

"And you, the Flurry of Dancing Flames, couldn't control a few fires?" Vexen interrupted snidely. Axel just looked sheepish.

"We need your help, Vexen. I control fire, not static electricity."

"And you need me because…?" Saix asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Because you know what Larxene's like," Axel said with a pointed stare.

"Unfortunately, yes. We will come with you. But Axel, be aware that you are on thin ice where the jewel witch is concerned." Then Saix opened a portal. But before he stepped through he glanced back at Takiren one last time.

"We will finish this later, Takiren." Then both he and Vexen were gone. Axel glanced over at the bound jewel witch. Again, by the mere sight of her, something sounded in his memory. But he managed to tear his eyes away from her. Now was not the time. Axel opened up a portal of his own and glanced at the door at the far end of the chamber.

"Cue Riku," he said before stepping through the portal. And just as he was vanishing into the darkness, the door opened, spilling light on Takiren's wasted body.

XxX

"Grr. Now what?" Riku groaned as he stared into the darkness beyond the open door. Maybe the card was broken, because this definitely wasn't the right world. But he stepped into the darkness anyway and his eyes gradually began to adjust.

He was in a small chamber of some sort. His first impression was that the room was empty, but then his eyes found a section of wall. He stepped back in shock at the body he saw hanging there. But, after a moment of hesitation, he approached it. Maybe whoever it was was still alive.

Riku placed to fingers against the pulse point in the person's neck. The figure shied away from his touch and made a sound that would have been a scream if it had had the energy. The sound was distinctly feminine and when Riku looked down he saw that the shirt had been ripped open. Yes, definitely a girl. He looked back up and noticed that the woman had purple hair.

"No. It couldn't be-" he whispered to himself as he untied the blindfold around her eyes. He lifted her face up and found himself staring into green eyes. He stepped back as if from a physical blow.

"Takiren?"

"R-Riku? Is that you?" she whispered. It was indeed Takiren. But it was not the Takiren he knew. The fire that had lit her eyes when he had first met her had been extinguished, leaving only hollow defeat in its place. The despair that radiated off of her was like a living thing that sucked the air from the room.

"What happened to you?" he asked as he set to work freeing her from the chains. She didn't speak until they were gone. Once Riku had freed her she stumbled forward. He caught her and helped her to sit against the wall.

"I was helpless," she said. She was shaking uncontrollably and she couldn't seem to look him in the eye. "All these years…I was powerless."

Takiren threw her head back and screamed. It was a sound of such anguish, such utter loneliness, that it raised the hair's on the back of Riku's neck. He didn't know how long he stood there, listening to the pain and rage pour out of her, but when she had completely exhausted herself a second time, he gently lifted her face up. There was nothing in her eyes now, not even despair. It was like looking into the eyes of a corpse.

Riku hurried over to the lab table on the other side of the chamber and picked up Takiren's jewel pouch. He knew that some of them had healing powers so he took them to her. But when he opened the pouch and looked down at the jewels, he saw that they were dead. A few still glowed faintly but most of them were no more than cold, hardened stones. Takiren gazed ruefully down at her once-powerful armory.

"The light won't come back. They're just like me."

"No!" Riku shouted. He had no idea what she'd been through since they'd parted ways in Agrabah, but he'd seen enough suffering, caused enough suffering, to last him a life time. He couldn't bear to watch someone else he knew fade into darkness. "I won't let you do this! I'll get us both out of here. Come on! Get up."

Riku helped Takiren stand. She didn't resist him but she didn't exactly help either. So Riku half dragged her out of the chamber and into the blinding white hallway beyond. Once they were out of the darkness, Riku leaned Takiren against the wall and tried to snap her out of it. He could see that she was in shock.

"Please, Takiren. Wake up! Stay with me. I know you're still in there somewhere. Don't quit on me!" Gods, where was the king when he needed him?

Takiren heard Riku's words but they did not sink in. For the past four years she had tried so hard to block out those memories, and in a matter of seconds, Saix had destroyed the dam she had built. And now Azmaria…had she really left her to fend for herself for four years? How could she have been so selfish? And what could she do now? Her power was gone.

A few more moments and Riku's efforts would have been all for nothing. Takiren would have spiraled completely into madness were it not for the dark portal that opened up just behind the two. Riku stiffened when he felt the new presence enter the hallway.

"Perfect timing, Riku. You've done all our dirty work for us."

Takiren also stiffened, but for a different reason. She had experienced so much in such a short while that the line between waking and dreaming was blurring. Was it a dream? Or a reality?

She knew that voice.

Takiren looked past Riku. The new arrival was dressed in sweeping black robes. He was tall, and very skinny. His eyes were a rare crystal green color. His long hair was the bright red of a raging fire, but traces of its previous blood-red color could still be seen at the roots. And the marks on his face. The diamond tattoos. _Her_ marks…

He looked her up and down, smirking condescendingly as he did so.

"So, Takiren, we meet at last."

"Lea?" she whispered disbelievingly.

XxX

(A/N) Well, almost. Don't hate me too much. Sorry if the chapter was a little long, but I had a lot to cover. Hope it was suitable to everyone's taste. Please read and review if'n ya don't mind.


	7. In The Eyes Of A Young Girl

(AN) Hello, what up, and all that jazz. Apart from that friendly greeting, you know what I want. No sense wasting words. This is the chappie where things really start moving. Oh, and btw, Final Fantasy fans, prepare yourselves for a healthy dose of Final Fantasy.

**One Kiss Before the Sun Sets**

_Chapter 7: In the Eyes of a Young Girl_

At first it seemed like nothing was happening. After all, who could really keep track of time in a time warp? But, after what could have been two minutes or two days, Azmaria began to feel changes.

The first changes were physical. Her nipples grew tender and breasts began to blossom out of her flat chest. She could not actually see the transformation happening. It was like trying to watch a flower bloom. You could never quite see it but you knew it was happening. Azmaria collapsed and her body folded in on itself, curling up into the fetal position. Pain shot through her limbs as she grew taller. Her baby fat was stripped away, leaving her lithe and curvy. She shrieked in pain as a thousand different growing pains attacked her all at once. In that scream she could hear her voice changing. Her short hair grew longer, flowing down her back like a silken cape. But the greatest pain came when her womb began to mature at lightening speed. She ripened in what seemed like the blink of an eye and began to menstruate. All of the cycles that would have occurred over those four years came upon her all at once and warm blood flowed from between her legs. All coherent thought was overthrown by thousands of alien sensations. Parts of her body that she had never really noticed before were suddenly screaming out their presence.

The physical pain lessened gradually; for the physical changes are only a small part of growing up. The worst pain was yet to come.

One thought steadily rose above her wracked nerves.

"Remember why you're here, Azmaria!" she coached herself as she struggled to her knees. She fumbled with her jewel pouch until she managed to retrieve the five jewels she wanted: the ruby, the emerald the sapphire, the tiger-eye, and the wildfire gem. She placed the last in front of her and set the other four in a diamond pattern around it. She traced a rune of power in the air over the gems, trying to channel all of her concentration into the setting. Anything to take her mind off of the growing pains. But the exercise didn't help. It brought her worse pain.

"_Perhaps you are just too different from your older sister."_

_Nine-year-old Azmaria looked up at her mother with tears in her eyes. The four elemental gems were laid out in front of her. Again she had tried and again she had failed to make them live. What was wrong with her? It hadn't taken Takiren nearly this long to make her jewels shine. Had her mother really lost faith in her? Why couldn't she do it? _

Again, Azmaria was born away on a wave of pain. Only this time, the pain came from her heart. She felt the despair she'd felt seven years ago, but now it was magnified ten fold by the rapid changes occurring in her body, soul, and heart. Every emotion that went with being a teenager shot through her in a matter of seconds: blinding rage, searing hatred, despair and crushing defeat, frustration, intense loneliness, the pain of friends and love found and lost. She felt a crushing weight in her chest; the heavy burden that is a heart. She fell forward onto all fours, trying hard not to fall on the stones. Tears fell from her eyes and down onto the jewels. Azmaria was experiencing the four years of heartbreak that she had been spared during her long slumber. The ache in her chest was so intense that she could hardly draw breath.

Spirits! What in high heaven had made her believe she could endure this?

"_What's wrong?" Takiren asked as she walked into the Dark Room where all of the jewel witches did their training. Azmaria was there, sobbing broken-heartedly. "Did Mother scold you?"_

"_She said…'You're too different from your big sister'!" she cried. Takiren sighed as she knelt down in front of her baby sister._

"_Don't cry. You can do it."_

_Azmaria shook her head and more tears dripped down her face. "They won't glow! Why won't they glow, Takiren?"_

"_Here's what I think," Takiren began, taking Azmaria's hands in hers. "The power of emotions that you feel inside can transcend a person's talent."_

"_Transcend?" Azmaria whispered._

"_It means overcome," she explained. "And not just talent, either. But destiny…and even a person's death. I believe strong feelings can overcome anything."_

_Azmaria suddenly felt a cool weight in her right palm. Takiren released her hands and Azmaria looked down to see a small wildfire stone resting in her palm. She looked up to protest but Takiren's warm eyes did not invite debate. This was a gift._

"_Azmaria…for this reason, I want you to love the jewels, even more than I love them. Keep trying."_

Azmaria opened her eyes. She looked down at the jewel setting and her eyes were drawn to the wildfire gem, the gem that Takiren had given her. This jewel represented Takiren's faith in her and she had made it glow once, however briefly.

"I'll be damned if I let the power die now," Azmaria whispered calmly as she traced another rune above the jewels. This time it was a rune for hope. Growing up was not all pain.

Another wave of emotions rose up in Azmaria's heart. But this wave was every happy emotion that she had not felt for the past four years. She felt the love of her sister and her parents. She felt pride and security. She remembered all of the friends she had known back home and her heart supplied her with the sweet taste of a first love that she had never really known. She thought about all of the new friends she had made and about how much they all cared for each other. These emotions were all strung together by a single, comforting thought.

"I'm not alone," she whispered as fresh tears slid down her face. Only now they were tears of happiness.

Azmaria suddenly felt an explosion of power sweep through her. She threw her head back and screamed as the power filled every cavity of her body, finally finding release as it flowed out of her hands and into the jewels. At long last, the stones flared to life, their power finally awakened. Azmaria collapsed beside the jewels. Her eyes fell on the wildfire gem. The jewel was awash with power and its great strength was spreading to all of the jewels in her armory.

"The stone is shining," she whispered breathlessly. She had waited so long and trained so hard for this.

XxX

Merlin's head snapped up.

"It's done!" he shouted. All of the others looked up. Aerith looked up hopefully and Yuffie immediately jumped up. Leon just glanced towards the door and Cid, who had been nodding off, snapped awake and fell over.

"What gives, old man?"

Merlin glanced sternly over at the pilot.

"The time warp spell is finished, Cid," he explained as he walked towards the door, which Stitch was incessantly banging his head against. Merlin gently scooted the wily experiment away with his foot and unsealed the door. Stitch was the first one through once he had it open. Everyone else followed behind him and stopped short at the sight they beheld.

Azmaria was standing before them. She had grown considerably and her clothes were little more than shredded rags. Her hair was in need of a good trim and she looked like she hadn't eaten anything in weeks. The floor beneath her was slick with blood. She had long shadows under her eyes but she was happy. She held the wildfire stone out to them.

"Look," she said weakly, eyes sparkling with triumph. "The stone is shining." But then, her eyelids flickered and she fell forward onto the ground, unconscious.

"Azmaria!" Aerith shouted as she ran forward. Stitch was already two steps ahead of her and was trying to turn Azmaria over onto her back.

"Check her pulse," Leon ordered.

"Is she going to be all right?" Yuffie asked, turning worriedly towards Merlin.

"She'll be fine," Merlin assured them. "She just needs a little rest. Her mind needs time to adjust. She might be out for a day or two. Leon, if you would be so kind as to move her over to the bed-"

Leon nodded and easily lifted Azmaria into his arms and carried her over to the bed. He gently laid her down and Stitch hopped up onto the bed beside her.

"Er…what are we gonna do about all this blood?" Cid asked.

"Don't worry. I'll clean everything up," Aerith volunteered. "We need to make sure she's comfortable."

"I don't see what you were so worried about, Merlin. Except for being unconscious, she doesn't look so bad to me," Yuffie commented.

"Unfortunately, it's not that simple," Merlin said solemnly. "You have no idea how relieved I am just to see her in one piece. Other adverse effects of the spell may present themselves later."

Everyone turned to look down at the sleeping Azmaria. The girl they had known had been replaced by a young woman. She had been through a lot in the past four hours and if anything had gone wrong in that time then it could cost her her very life. But none of that could be seen in the peaceful smile that graced her face. When all was said and done…what would become of her?

"Hang in there, kid," Cid said, voicing the emotions they were all feeling.

XxX

_Castle Oblivion_

_Lower Levels_

Takiren had no idea how long she'd been standing there, leaning against the wall and staring. She was too stunned to do anything. For that lost span of time her entire world became that stretch of ground that separated her from Lea.

For his part, Axel kept his usual smirk on his face. He remained just as silent as her. He would let her make the first move because, quite honestly, he had no idea why she was behaving this way. And how did she know his true name?

Riku just kept looking back and forth between the two; one his friend, and the other a man who looked to be a member of this organization thing that ran this crazy place.

"Lea? What do you mean 'Lea'?" he asked, trying to get her attention. "This is Lea? But he's…he can't…"

But Takiren didn't seem to hear him. She finally stood up on her own and pushed past Riku like he wasn't even there. She moved forward hesitantly, as if some invisible force was pulling her towards Axel, but that same force was holding her back as well.

"Lea," she whispered again. She reached a hand out toward him as she moved slowly forward. "You've…gotten so thin…and I've…been so worried about you…"

When she was about two feet from Axel, Takiren threw herself the last few steps and flung her arms around him.

"What happened to you?" she cried into his chest. "I looked everywhere for you!"

Axel just stood there, neither speaking nor returning the embrace. In fact, the smirk had been replaced by a look of confusion. Though he didn't consciously recall it, something in him remembered this embrace. However, he wasn't quite up to admitting that to _her_. He pulled away from her and held her at arm's length.

"You know, Takiren, I'm not really sure whether to say 'good to see you again' or 'nice to meet you'."

Takiren felt a painful chill sweep down her spine. "What are you talking about? It's me! Takiren! Don't you recognize me!?" she cried.

"Honestly…no," Axel said, scratching the back of his head. He'd given up on intimidation when he'd seen that first look in her eyes. Even for someone like him, the raw desperation of such a look could strike deep. However, he did not let the break in his composure show. "I want to know who you are, but we can't talk right now. At least, not with him here." Axel nodded towards Riku. Takiren glanced back at the boy.

Before either of them really realized what was happening, Axel raised a hand and easily lifted Riku into the air.

"Hey! What is this?" Riku shouted. Takiren just watched, shocked. Axel waved his hand and Riku went flying through the air. He slammed into the door at the far end of the corridor with a cry of pain.

"Riku!" Takiren shouted.

In the blink of an eye, Axel was standing beside Riku. "I see you've got one card left," he commented as he pulled said card from Riku's pocket. "I don't know who's been giving you these and I probably shouldn't let you keep going, but I'm willing to cut you some slack. You served your purpose. I just need you out of my hair now."

Axel held the card up to the door and it opened. He picked Riku up and threw him through, quickly sealing the door behind him. Then he turned to face Takiren.

"Now then, where were we?"

XxX

No sooner had Riku hit the floor than he was struggling back to his feet. He ran back to the door and threw it open but the white hall beyond was deserted.

"No!" Riku shouted, slamming his fist into the doorframe. "NO!"

XxX

A warning bell sounded in Takiren's head as Axel walked back towards her. _Flee! Flee!_ The alarm sounded. _He's not the man that you knew!_ But no amount of reason or fear could make her step back from him. She had come so far already.

"You…really don't know who I am?" she whispered, too shocked to be upset.

"Sorry, but no. And now that you're here, I can ask you. You see, it's like this. We're playing a pretty crazy game here in Castle Oblivion and-"

"Castle Oblivion?"

"Did I stutter?" Axel shot back with a sneer. "Don't tell me Saix left out that little detail. _This_ is Castle Oblivion," he said with a grand sweep of his arms. "It's run by Organization XIII, and the upper chain of command wants your heart…or the resulting Nobody…or something. I'm not even really sure-"

"I already know that. Why are you telling me this?" Takiren asked. Tears were gathering in her eyes. The shock was wearing away and pain was setting in.

"Because I want to know how you got mixed up in all of this. The others keep hinting that I should know you, and I don't know you, but sometimes I _think_ I know you. They told me not to seek you out but I wanted to know what the big deal was. If you're really a Gylfie, then I _should_ know you, but I can't remember a thing about you!" His voice was starting to rise in frustration. "So, my question stands. Who are you and what the hell is going on here?"

Takiren was at a loss for words. Yen Sid had been right. He didn't know her at all. How could she explain who she was…who they were together…with mere words? So much of what they were to each other was bound up in their life experiences together. If all of that was lost…had she really come this far for nothing? He had no heart, she knew that. But she also knew that Nobodies had souls. _Something_ in him had to remember her. For if he did not, it would mean that they had both suffered for nothing.

"I'm…you're my…we're…Oh Gods, Lea, why don't you know me?" she cried, her voice growing more and more hysterical. "You _have_ to know me!"

Axel was instantly reminded of the vision he'd had earlier. But the only thing he could think of to say now was, "Look, I don't know how you know that name, but the name's Axel now. Got it memorized?"

That was too much for Takiren. Those three simple words brought the mind rape rushing back into her head. Her legs gave way beneath her and she collapsed to her knees. Hot tears streamed down her face as she pounded her fist against the floor in a helpless fit of hysterics.

"It can't be…this isn't right!"

Axel could do nothing but stare. Hysterical women were not his area of expertise, and this particular woman…merciful darkness, he just could not figure her out. He stood there for who knew how long, just staring at the sobbing mess Takiren had become because he didn't know what else to do. Marluxia hadn't given him any instructions and he hadn't planned too far ahead where she was concerned. He had been hoping to get more answers from her but she was obviously not going to be any help in this state. _He_ would have to help _her_ if she was to survive long enough to face Marluxia and give him the answers he wanted. The best way to proceed would be to get her back on her feet and back on track. While Marluxia had not given him direct orders, he had given him the means to move forward.

So Axel went to Takiren and bodily dragged her over to the wall. He stood her up against it, hoping that she would be able to support her own weight. Then he pulled five new world cards out of nowhere and held them in front of her face.

"_Catch!" Marluxia tossed a packet of cards at Axel._

"_Where-" Axel started._

"_Vexen made them. Just in case. You can give them to her if you see fit. You can even kill her if you want. Just make sure that Saix doesn't get to her."_

"Take these," Axel said, pressing the cards into her hand.

"What's…the point?" she mumbled dazedly.

"If it makes you feel any better, there's a girl called Namine at the top of the castle. She knows what she's doing when it comes to memory. If anyone will know what's going on around here, she will."

Takiren stared numbly at the cards in her hand. The top card read "Treasure Planet". A moment later she became aware of Axel dragging her towards the door he'd just thrown Riku through.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked, thoroughly confused.

"Because you need to stay ahead of the game if you want to get to Namine before the Keyblader does."

"He's here?"

"Oh yeah, he's here all right. If you don't reach the end before he does…well, let's just say it won't be pretty. That first card will take you back to the upper levels, the seventh floor I think."

"I don't understand." Takiren was almost catatonic at this point.

"It doesn't matter right now. Just go," Axel pressed. He held her hand up to the door, exposing the Treasure Planet card to its power. The door opened and he pushed her through.

Takiren didn't look back when the door closed behind her. She was too much in shock. She collapsed back against the door, unable or unwilling to stand any longer.

_I seem to be doing that a lot lately_ she thought bitterly. She glanced down at her jewel pouch lying beside her. Riku hadn't tied it around her waist properly and it had come loose when she hit the ground. The pouch had come open and instead of the reassuring glow of power she had become so used to, Takiren saw only the glittering cold reflection of her defeat. She hung her head despondently.

"Why? Why didn't he know me?!" she cried helplessly. There was nothing left. Saix had beaten her. And in the end, it had all been for nothing. Azmaria was in danger, her jewels were powerless, and Lea may as well have been dead. She had let him die…four years ago. It was hopeless. She had no power. She wasn't fit to help anyone!

"I'm sorry. So sorry…Lea. I did this. I've hurt you so much." And now here she was feeling sorry for herself. When had this ever been about her? She had no right to feel sorry for herself! Lea was the one who had suffered. Why Lea? He didn't deserve this. All he had ever done was love her…unworthy as she proved herself to be time and time again.

A few short moments later, Takiren heard a scuffle coming from her left. She looked down at her pouch again and saw it wriggling. After a moment a bright pink jewel popped out. It twisted and bubbled until it was just a floating pink blob with eyes.

"Reeeee!" the blob squealed delightedly.

A small smile flitted across Takiren's face as she reached out her hand to tickle the little creature.

"Hello, Morph," she whispered. "I'm sorry I haven't played with you in awhile."

After her first meeting with the crew of the _RLS Legacy,_ Jim Hawkins had asked her to take the wily shape shifter with her. He usually liked to disguise himself as a jewel and hide out in her pouch. At the moment, he was twisting himself round and about her outstretched fingers.

But then Morph landed on her palm and began to change shape again. Before long a miniature version of Axel was standing in her palm.

Fresh guilt ripped through Takiren's heart. But as she looked at the miniature she remembered something. He'd said that he _thought_ he knew her. She climbed to her feet and stared down the decks of the _RLS Legacy_. Maybe…there was still hope left.

"Lea…Axel…I will not abandon you."

XxX

_13th Floor_

"You forget your place, Saix," Marluxia sneered.

"No, Marluxia, you forget yours!" Saix said with calm anger as he tightened his grip on Larxene's throat.

"She is under my command. As things stand, Saix, you don't have the authority to kill her."

"Give me one good reason, just one, why I should not kill this traitor, and you as well."

"You don't seem to understand my position-"

"What position?" Vexen shouted. "You lied to us!"

"You…you-" Larxene struggled to speak. Rage was boiling in her eyes and energy was crackling between her fingers.

"Why are you still talking?" Saix asked smoothly as he threw her against the far wall.

"That's more like it," Marluxia said once Larxene had gotten to her feet.

"So, _Number XI_, would you mind telling me why you were so inclined as to lie to me?"

"Because you were about to destroy everything you had worked for."

Saix narrowed his eyes. "How's that?"

Marluxia sauntered towards Saix with a condescending smirk on his face. "If you had _bothered_ to pay any attention to your victim's jewels, you would have noticed that they had all died."

Saix's only reaction to this was a slight widening of the eyes.

"Wait. What does that mean?" Vexen asked, directing the question at Saix.

"It means," began a new voice. The four of them looked up to see Axel make his appearance. "That Takiren's power was dead and any Nobody resulting from exposing her heart to darkness would have been completely useless to you."

Vexen seemed to consider this for a moment, and then turned to Saix, who had his gaze fixed angrily on Axel.

"But…that means…Saix, we can't take her heart from her. If she loses her heart to darkness then her powers will be lost to us forever!"

"Yes," Saix said, never once taking his eyes off of Axel. "I was afraid that might be the case."

"Way to go, a-hole!" Larxene said sourly.

"Then…what will do?" Vexen asked, trying his hardest to ignore the black-cloaked wench that had been the object of so much of his loathing as of late.

Saix didn't answer him. He strode towards Axel and grabbed his wrist, quickly leading him away down one of the corridors. Vexen followed.

All members of Organization XIII had their own chambers in Castle Oblivion. Saix was leading Axel and Vexen to his. When they arrived, Saix immediately began his interrogation.

"While I will admit that your actions prevented us from making a grave mistake, I am sorely tempted to kill you, Axel."

"Hey, that's not fair! You said so yourself. If I hadn't stepped in-"

"But the fact that you did is suspect," Saix interjected. "Marluxia doesn't care what happens with Takiren. He did not give the order. As such, I can only assume that you acted on your own."

"Actually, the order _did_ come from Marluxia. He wanted to give Sora more time."

"Why should you care what happens to Sora?" Vexen queried.

"My cover cares what happens to Sora!" Axel shot back.

Vexen considered his answer, then turned to Saix and gave him a look that plainly said he did not trust Axel. But Saix didn't seem to notice.

"Vexen, go back down below. I wish to speak with Axel alone."

Vexen's right eye started to twitch. He was ready to blow his top at being dismissed. "But…what of Takiren?"

"I shall inform you when the time is right. But in the meantime, I want to speak to Number VIII in private. Go."

Vexen went, seething as he did so. He was the eldest member here! And why did Saix trust Axel when the impudent firebrand was clearly not to be trusted? However, one did not argue with the Luna Diviner. It just wasn't done.

Once Vexen was gone, Saix turned his full attention back to Axel.

"All right, maybe you did act on Marluxia's orders, but I can tell just by looking at you that you've spoken to her. There's something…different about you. Why did you do it?"

This puzzled Axel to no end. He didn't feel any different. How could merely speaking to Takiren have changed him?

"Do you plan on defending yourself, Axel, or should I just kill you and be done with it?"

"No need for killing," Axel said smoothly, snapping out of his ponderings. "I did it because I couldn't just leave her there. I-"

"Don't tell me you still have feelings for her!" Saix interrupted sharply.

"No," Axel said slowly, realizing that Saix had just let a clue slip. "Is there any reason why I should?"

"No, certainly not," Saix responded, not allowing his slip to become too apparent. "Continue."

"As I was saying," Axel started again, sounding rather pleased with himself. "I couldn't leave her there for you and Vexen to find in the state that she was in. If she's ever going to regain her power then she has to keep moving through the castle. I gave her new cards to keep her moving. But if she makes it to the thirteenth floor, Marluxia's planning on killing her. So you'd better come up with something fast."

To Axel, this seemed like the opportune moment to pace, but Number VII was not one for pacing. He simply stood there for a long moment, looking to be deep in thought. At length, he glanced back up at Axel.

"Am I correct in thinking that you were unaware of the fact that Vexen's backup cards for Takiren were not made with a protective shield?"

"So…what? Will Takiren lose her memory?" Axel asked, suddenly worried. Takiren would be no good to him without her memories.

"No. All that means is that from this point on, Takiren will actually interact with the people from her memory. Up until now she has only been a spectator in this castle. Speaking of which, what did she say to you?"

"What?"

"Takiren. It's obvious that she spoke to you. What did she say?"

"I'm not really sure. But it all amounted to how upset she was that I didn't recognize her. She just lost it."

"And did her emotions…affect you in any way?" Saix asked, treating the question as if it were a ticking time bomb.

"Apart from complete and utter confusion, no," Axel lied. In truth, her emotions _had_ affected him. For the first time in his non-existence, he _wanted_ to feel pain and sorrow. He had wanted to sympathize with Takiren. It had been awhile since he had actually missed having emotions. They just got in the way. But Takiren reminded him of what he lacked. She made him want to feel.

"Good," Saix said, his expression unreadable. "For your sake, hope that it remains that way. And now that we have broached the subject of Takiren ad Marluxia, I want your report on the progress of the infiltration."

"At this point, it's safe to say that Marluxia and Larxene are definitely planning a takeover. Larxene's convinced that I'm with them but Marluxia's still up in the air."

"And can we trust you to take care of them when the time comes?"

"I thought Organization XIII didn't like the word trust, but yeah, I'll do what needs doing. And what do you want me to do about Sora?"

"Well, considering that he's half ours, there'd be nothing to gain by destroying him…yet. He is the wild card in this scenario. Leave him be for the moment. And make certain that Marluxia does not harm Takiren. We still need her. Now, go. I will return to the World That Never Was. And if I find that you've been talking to Takiren-"

"I know, I know," Axel interrupted just before disappearing through a dark portal. "You'll kill me."

Saix glared at the spot where Axel had been a good while after he had gone. He had seen right through him. Of course Takiren's emotions had affected him. This revelation astounded Saix. Even though his heart had been ripped away from him and he had become a being that teetered on the edge of existence, somehow, he was still connected with Takiren. Somehow, some way, their souls still resonated with each other. It was becoming clear to Saix that all of the experiments Vexen had performed with Axel's memory might amount to nothing. No matter what they tried, it seemed they could not completely erase the touch of her heart from him. Would Takiren's mere presence cause Axel to regain his erased memories of her?

No! That could not happen. If Axel were to regain his memory then he would never raise a hand against Takiren. He might even turn against them, as Marluxia had, just to protect her.

_But at the rate this situation is deteriorating,_ Saix wondered as he opened a portal of his own. _How can I prevent that from happening? Much as I dislike having to admit it, we still need Axel._

XxX

_Lower Levels_

"Did it ever occur to you," Vexen began without preliminary when he stepped out of his portal, "that maybe _none_ of the newer members are to be trusted?"

"Actually, it had not," Zexion said without looking up. "What prompted this new theory?"

"You never questioned why Saix suddenly became the second in command?"

"If I may, Vexen, that just sounds like sour grapes, not a reason to doubt the loyalty of Numbers VII through XIII," Zexion commented with a cool sneer.

"I have not said all. Something is out of joint here. Axel is with Marluxia, yet Saix still trusts his word. Perhaps there is more than one game afoot in our organization. Maybe they are _all_ moving against us!"

"Let us examine that claim for a moment," the Cloaked Schemer began, finally looking up at Vexen. "We know for certain that Larxene and Marluxia, maybe even Axel, are against us. According to you, Saix might be against us, though I sincerely doubt that, considering his devotion to our cause. Demyx is too much of a fool to be counted either way. Last I knew, Luxord was still loyal to us. As things stand, I would say that Roxas is more of a tool of the Organization than an actual member, albeit, a very powerful tool."

"So what do you think?" Vexen pitched the question to both Zexion and Lexaeus.

"I do not believe that Saix would betray us," Lexaeus said upfront. "Though he would make a formidable foe if he chose to oppose the Organization. I might keep my eye on Luxord, maybe even Demyx."

Zexion just sighed. "Honestly, what _has_ become of our organization? Plotting coups? Coming up with conspiracy theories behind each other's backs? Not a very organized organization, are we."

XxX

_Hollow Bastion_

When one thought of the world Hollow Bastion, one did not generally associate the word boredom with it. There was plenty of work to be done to cleanse the world of the darkness that had so lately consumed it. Leon and Merlin were attempting to organize the others into some kind of committee in order to make things run smoother. So, with so much work to do, it was a wonder that Leon was sitting by himself in the library with his head in his hands. A letter was lying open on the table before him.

Leon was a man of deeds, not words, and it was a rare occasion that he was at a loss for what to do. But the letter before him had undone him. He did not even look up when Yuffie came crashing through the door, followed by Cloud and Merlin.

"Is it true?!" she shouted, crashing against the table. "Aerith told us you just got a letter from Rinoa!"

Leon glanced up at Yuffie's flushed face. Her eyes were shining with hope. He picked up the letter and gazed down at the signature as he spoke.

"It's true. The king's old friend, Scrooge, managed to get a gummi ship through. He's been trying to open up some routes for trade and he ended up in a place called Twilight Town. Rinoa and some of the others were there. They escaped," he whispered.

"But how?" Merlin asked. "I thought Cid was the only one with gummi technology at that time."

"You've forgotten one person," Cloud supplied when Leon did not answer. "His apprentice, Shera. She was the only one who stayed with him after Shinra scrapped the technology."

"That's right," Leon continued softly. "But when even Ansem rejected the project, they had a disagreement about the design and they parted ways after that. It was her who helped the others escape."

"But who all was with her?" Yuffie asked impatiently.

"According to the letter, Shera, Edea, Reeve, Zangan, and Barret lead the escape. Tifa and Zack were with them-"

"They're all right?" Cloud burst out. Leon glanced over at his friend and nodded. A rare smile of relief graced his grim countenance.

"Who else?" Yuffie demanded.

"Quistis, Zell, and Irvine. Ellone got out too," he continued, with a smile of relief similar to Cloud's, as if saying the words finally made them real. He had been worried about his cousin and Rinoa for so long, and now, to finally know that they were safe…there were just no words.

"Is that all?" Yuffie pressed, beginning to sound nervous.

"No. Lulu's with them. And Reno and Rude."

"They all got out?!" Yuffie cried joyously, finally getting the answer she had longed for. Lulu was one of her best friends and Reno and Rude were like big brothers to her. For the longest time she had thought them all lost.

"Did anyone else make it?" Merlin asked.

"Yeah. Tseng, Elena, and Rufus."

"Rufus?" Yuffie interjected, suddenly snapping out of her euphoria. "Rufus _Shinra_? Why Rufus?"

"I don't know. Tseng and Elena probably rescued him. Either way, Rinoa says they'll be coming back here once they can close up shop in Twilight Town."

"Oh, this is wonderful news!" Merlin twittered. "They're all coming home. We must make ready for their arrival. When will they get here? Aerith must be so happy that Zack's all right. We must tell Cid that Shera's coming home. How will-"

"Merlin, wait," Leon interrupted, his voice sounding heavy again. "There's more."

Merlin turned back towards Leon. Something in his voice frightened the old wizard.

"What's wrong, Leon?"

"Edea's dead," he said simply.

A thick silence descended over the library. Yuffie and Cloud turned shocked eyes to Merlin. His expression was unreadable. Leon had known that this news would cut the old man deeply. Edea had been his best and brightest apprentice and, when she had finished training, his best friend. To the rest of them, she had been a beloved magic teacher.

"How did it happen?" Merlin finally managed to force the question out.

"Rinoa says that they were attacked by a man dressed all in black. Edea fought him and he was too much for her."

"And who…did she transfer her powers to?"

"Rinoa."

XxX

_Twilight Town_

"Hey, Dincht! Catch!"

Zell Dincht spun on his heels just in time to see a giant box come flying at his head. "Whoa!" he shouted, barely managing to catch it and keep it from smashing into his face.

"Thank you, precious," Tifa Lockhart said with an evil grin as she walked past him.

"You're welcome, cupcake," he retorted, trying to sneak a peek into the box he'd just caught.

"Drop the box!" demanded a voice from the top of the stairs that Zell and Tifa had just come down. Zell looked up and saw Reno glaring down at him, mag rod in hand. "Okay, Dincht! Hand it over!"

"So first you want me to drop it and now you want me to hand it over? Which is it?"

"Don't joke with me. Just set the box down, nice and easy, back away, and nobody gets hurt," Reno threatened, moving slowly down the stairs like a tiger stalking his prey.

"You've gotta catch me first, turkey boy!" Zell shouted as he dashed past Tifa, out the door, and into the shop at the front of the apartment building they all shared.

"Hey, Zell, where are you going with that box?" Reeve Tuesti, who was still manning the counter, asked.

"Talk later! Run now!" the blond blur cried as it shot out the front door and away down Market Street. Reeve might have been confused were it not for the equally fast redheaded blur that followed the same course as the first one.

"YOU'RE FINISHED, DOG BOY!"

Tifa entered the scene right on the heels of the commotion, laughing heartily.

"So…what _was_ in that box, Tifa?"

"Oh, just something that Reno can't live without."

"What? Beer?" Elena jibed as she walked through the front door. "I was helping Tseng and Barret load the gummi ship and Shera asked me to come and get a few more navigation blocks. I was heading back from the garage when I saw Reno chasing Zell down the street. Is that what's in his box? Reno's precious alcohol?" she asked, leaning against the counter and flicking some dirt off of her green cami. She, Tseng, Reno, and Rude had been Turk trainees when Radiant Garden fell and it had taken a few years to talk them out of their suit uniforms. Elena, the youngest of the four, had a particular fondness for all things green.

"Not quite. I think Reno's found a healthy substitute. Though I'm not entirely sure his obsession is so healthy."

"What was it you needed, Elena? More nav blocks? I think we've still got some unpacked ones here," Reeve said before diving under the counter on a hunt for the desired objects.

"Yeah, can you put a rush order on that? Shera's hoping to be ready to go before too long. Is the rest of our stock ready to go?"

"Check. This is the last of it," Irvine Kinneas announced as he walked into the front room, carrying a large box in his arms. Zangan, Tifa and Zell's martial arts master, entered behind him, easily hefting two boxes in his powerful arms. Irvine huffed and puffed, and set his box down on the counter with a great show of effort. Zangan just kept a hold of his own boxes.

"Whew! This is hot work," Irvine commented, leaning against the counter next to Elena. "I don't suppose it would be hard for a man to get a glass of water around here."

"No, I don't suppose it would be," the blonde responded, blatantly ignoring his hint. "Now tell me where I can find a man and I'd be happy to get him one."

Irvine clutched his heart dramatically. "Elena, I'm hurt-". Before his monologue could commence, a new voice entered from the back door.

"You just got served, pretty boy," Rufus Shinra said as he approached the counter. He was dressed in his usual white trench coat. Rufus was the son and heir of the old President Shinra. Or at least he _had_ been the heir until Ansem the Wise had disbanded the Shinra Corporation for crimes against the people and the planet. At first, young Rufus hadn't known what to do with himself. He'd been a bitter, power-hungry young man and even now, nine years later, he didn't know why Tseng had helped him escape their dying world. Spirits knew he certainly hadn't deserved it. It had taken him a while to outgrow the arrogant, spoiled brat he'd been and even he knew that he could still be a little stubborn.

But Irvine, ever the smooth talker, kept his cool and replied, "Rufus, no one can have a higher opinion of you than I do…and I think you're a slimy, vicious sewer rat."

A few years ago, a comment like that would have set Rufus off, but he was beginning to see that very little in the worlds was worthy of great anger. Now it was all in good fun.

"That was funny…the first dozen times I heard it. You need a new insult, cowboy."

Irvine tipped his large cowboy hat at the former billionaire and grinned. "Love you too, darlin'."

"Pardon," yet another voice entered from the back door. Blonde Quistis Trepe swept gracefully into the room, followed by a less graceful Lulu. Lulu held one last box in her arms. "But you missed a box, Irvine."

"Ah, yes. Little miss perfect saves the day yet again," Irvine said snidely.

Quistis blanched slightly at the comment. In the years following Radiant Garden's fall, she had become Reeve's protégé. Ever the administrator and teacher, she always had something to say.

However, everything that Quistis was, Lulu was the exact opposite. The seventeen-year-old had dark hair and eyes and kept a great deal of her true opinions to herself. Where Quistis usually dressed in whites, Lulu generally wore darker colors and she had a bit of a belt fetish. In fact, she more often worked the counter than the garage in their little repair shop because her multitude of belts were always underfoot. She was currently wearing at least ten belts around her waist and hips alone.

"Found them," Reeve announced, finally emerging from beneath the counter. As he was handing the blocks to Elena he noticed how much more crowded the room had suddenly become. "Oh. Hello everyone. Did I miss something?"

"Took long enough," Elena snipped jokingly as she strolled back out of the shop.

"We're almost ready to go. Is there anything left under the counter, Reeve?" Quistis asked.

"No. Just this last box," he said as he brought said box up from behind the counter. "We're all set."

"Set? But Rinoa didn't get to say goodbye to Seifer yet!" Irvine moaned.

"Oh, come off it, Kinneas. He just had a little boy's crush on her. Seifer's an okay guy, but he just doesn't get it," Tifa reprimanded him. "Maybe it's wrong, but I really hope Hayner gets that rematch with him someday. And I hope he takes him down."

"Speaking of Rinoa," Zangan began, throwing his student a disapproving look. "Where is she? I haven't seen her or Ellone since this morning."

"They went to the beach," Tifa supplied. "Rinoa wanted to say one last goodbye."

"Oh," Zangan said softly. "Of course."

XxX

"You'll never take me alive!" Zell shouted over his shoulder. If he could make it to the garage then he would be home free.

"You know, I was going to let you live, Zell, but you can forget that!" Reno shouted, somehow managing to keep his sights on the fleeing martial artist, despite his lead. "IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO THAT BOX, YOU'LL LIVE TO REGRET IT!!"

Zell was about to throw another smart remark back at him but the moment he turned, he ran smack into a solid wall.

Zell slumped to the ground. Luckily, the box had been spared damage because he hadn't been holding it directly in front of him, but it didn't look like his body would be so lucky. Zell slowly gazed up at the mountain he'd run into. As his eyes traveled upward, he found himself wishing that he could sink into the ground and hide. When Zell's eyes reached their destination they were staring into the harsh face of the immovable Rude.

"Oh, shit," he moaned.

"Yeah, Rude. Lookin' sharp!" Reno cheered, finally catching up to them. He knelt down beside Zell and picked up his precious box.

"Um…Reno? Rude? Before you kill me, could you at least tell me what it is that I'm dying for?"

"Sure. Why not," Reno said casually, pulling a small packet out of the box. He tossed one to Rude and then pulled out one for himself. He sat the box at his feet and opened up the packet, producing a blue ice cream bar. With a delirious smile on his face, Reno began to lap up the ice cream. Rude just opened his up and licked up the ice cream with as much dignity as this sort of activity afforded him.

"Ice cream…this is a box of ice cream," Zell said, tilting his head in confusion as some of Reno's ice cream bar dribbled down onto his face.

"Yep."

"So…you're going to kill me over a box of sea salt ice cream bars?"

"Pretty much."

"Only you, Reno. Only you," said the man that had been standing behind Rude the whole time. In Zell's line of sight, Zack Fair suddenly appeared over Rude's shoulder and walked around to him to give him a hand getting up.

"Hey, in my defense, this is some pretty damn good ice cream. Besides, they don't have this stuff back home. When Scrooge was here, he said we could make some money off of it. Gotta make a living somehow now that the world order's been destroyed."

"Reno, I'm positive they'll have a much more interesting job for a man of your…talents," Zack said with a grin. "Gods preserve Radiant Garden. The Turks are coming home."

XxX

"Well, Edea, I suppose this is goodbye," Rinoa Heartilly said as she knelt in front of a small gravestone, placing a white lily on it. The stone was simple, no dates or anything. It simply said:

_Edea Kramer_

_A Sanctuary_

Edea had died in a battle with a man cloaked all in black. The man had almost killed Rinoa when she'd tried to step in. None of them had been able to match him and Edea had fallen. He'd introduced himself as Xaldin and told them that Edea had meddled in things that she shouldn't have. He also said that if they wanted to live, they should all leave well enough alone. The sorceress had been dead for almost four years now. Edea's death had been hardest on Rinoa, partially because she had come out of the ordeal with all of their mentor's powers. Zangan and Ellone tried to help her when they could, but neither of them could quite grasp the scope of the power that Rinoa suddenly found herself saddled with. She kept a good deal of it locked away within herself. Master Yen Sid was probably the only one who understood it and she didn't go to him as often as she probably should have. Honestly, the old master scared her a little.

"I almost feel guilty leaving her here," Rinoa said to the woman standing beside her. Ellone Leonheart was Squall's older cousin. Her parents had been killed in the last great war and in the years prior to the fall of Radiant Garden, she had lived with Squall and his father, Laguna. She had been born with a couple of strange powers of her own and she was always offering to help Rinoa understand hers. Even though Ellone didn't have Edea's powers herself, she had a keen ability to grasp and understand.

"It'll be alright. She would want us to go back. Besides, she'll be fine here. I know she would like the spot we picked for her. She always loved the ocean. Now she can be near it always."

"But…she'll be all alone."

"You need to stop worrying, Rinoa. She'll never be alone. Master Sid said he'd check up on her occasionally. And Olette promised that she'd stop by and make sure that everything stays in order. This spot is way far off from all the tourist spots. No one's found it for the past four years. This is a peaceful place, and it's going to stay that way," Ellone reassured her.

"Yeah," Rinoa sighed. "I guess you're right. I just…gah! I don't know! Maybe I'm just scared to go back. I mean, of course I want to see Squall and the others again but…what will things be like now? It's been nine years. What if Squall's-"

"Don't even think such things. If I can guarantee you anything, Rinoa, it's that my cousin loves you. He's probably been worried sick about you all these years. You two will pick up where you left off and we will all face the future together, no matter what it holds."

"You make it sound so easy," Rinoa said as she stood. "Can things ever really be the way they were before?"

"No," Ellone said simply as the two friends turned and walked away down the beach. "Nothing can ever be the same. But if we trust to hope and face the future unafraid, we can build something better."

Once the two women had gone, the beach was as silent as it had been before, only now it seemed a bit more at ease. A strong wind swept along the sandy stretch and picked up the lily that Rinoa had placed at Edea's grave. Like a spirit finally released, the wind carried the small white flower out over the water and towards the twilit horizon.

XxX

(A/N) Ah, the plot thickens. Well, there's that. Hope you enjoyed. I should warn you though, Dirge of Cerberus being the exception, I have never actually played a Final Fantasy game. Please let me know how I'm doing with their characters. I also thought I should mention that the memory sequence with Azmaria and Takiren wasn't entirely my own invention, but the scene fit them so well. It comes from Chrno Crusade.


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